Jamais de la vie

My wife and I watched this at home via Amazon Prime streaming movies.

A woman in a sleepy Maine town, where everyone knows everyone else, works as a part time writer for the local rag. Her husband, a well-regarded composer and singer, had died not long ago in a hiking accident and she was having trouble getting past it.

A Hofstra professor in New York was a fan, he wants to write a proper biography of the singer, so he travels to Maine to see what he can find. This gets him to encounter the young widow.

While this exact story has not been told in a movie it is not unlike many others. The widow and the writer do not get along at all, he is pleasant but frank, she is emotional and resistant to anyone meddling into her dead husband's memory. But he persists and ultimately, fortunately before the movie ends, they begin to find ways to work together. And maybe a nice romance thrown in as a bonus.

A pleasant enough movie for a slow evening after a steak and a bottle of Oregon Cabernet.

I was pleasantly and unexpectedly surprised by this movie. I found it a realistic portrayal of how hard it is to let go of the memory of deep love that is now gone and learning how to move on and sometimes failing and falling down, until suddenly you wake up and life unexpectedly opens up to something new and wonderful. I am surprised by the negative reviews. It is not a romantic comedy or a typical slick, fast paced Hollywood film. But it works as a touching, authentic slice of a life, portraying what loss really looks like and the beauty of love. The music was also really fantastic. A touching little gem.

Understated, honest and soulfully choreographed. The cast is engaging, authentic and surprisingly interesting even in the most ordinary situations, of which there are few. Grief may be the premise of this film, but the result is a calm escape into a world you'll be happy to spend some time in.

After reading about the film, I did expect an Indie movie with the usual predictable story lines and romantic frou frou, and there is no shortage of that, but there is another layer of depth that caught me off guard. The intimate warmth of the soundtrack, like the weightless smoke of a dying candle in a quiet room, lingers long after the end credits are over. Some of the songs really are beautiful enough to warrant this type of language, trust me. So do the memories of other musicians who left behind their timeless creations along with the shock and mystery of a lifetime cut short. Martyn Bennett and Jeff Buckley, however different the circumstances of their departure, come to mind.

Whenever an Indie movie finds the perfect balance between lighthearted, mainstream entertainment and the relatability of a smaller story and budget, it proofs that a solid Indie production can transcend the restrictions of a genre and touch the audience beyond 90 minutes of entertainment.

I couldn't think of a single studio produced movie in recent months that achieved 'Tumbledown's subtlety and depth with the same simplicity and grace. To proof my point, this movie would work even without the romance and succeed as a relevant reflection on grief and the responsibility of moving on.

Reviewing a Nicholas Sparks'-related film is not a happy assignment because of its near-guarantee of maudlin, tear jerking sentiment. Hooray! Because Tumbledown is the anti-Sparks romance, nothing to do with his weepers, in fact a hard-nosed but sympathetic study of Hannah's (Rebecca Hall) writing a biography of her notably- accomplished folk-singer, late husband's short life.

Although this summary might seem Sparksean, it is not that at all. Perhaps the innocence and originality of the production comes from its freshman director, Sean Mewshaw and his collaborating writer, his wife, Desiree Van Til. Both are gifted and devoid of the penchant for cliché so dominant in other romances.

This realist-oriented romance finds Hannah struggling with her writing and her business-associate, a college professor, Andrew (Jason Sudekis). Although a certain element of formula must be present as she insults him regularly (a sure sign they will fall in love), it is 90 min before they kiss—another Hooray! During this first 2/3, most of the dialogue is rapid and sardonic, a sweetness to my word-addicted ears.

Moments occur in this dialogue-driven segment when I am reminded of the early 20th century love of screwball comedic repartee. The rapid fire insults and witticism are nectar to those of us who have grown up on Jud Apatow's romcoms potty humor and pratfalls. While Tumbledown has its moments of pratfalls and excessive dialogue, overall it is balm for the ears, and, given the attractiveness of Hall and Sudekis, a sight for sore eyes.

Because I lived for a year in Northern Maine, I must laud the picture's artists for capturing small town Maine life without parodying its apparent narrowness and gruffness. A warm interior lies at the center of the outwardly hostile natives; it's a warm interior that catches heat from the ubiquitous fireplaces (we had wood stoves). Visitors from the city like Andrew and his girlfriend, Finley (Dianna Agron), may just never qualify for residency the way Hannah does.

Tumbledown is that kind of movie which makes you feel "Oh! It's good. But it should have been better". You'd almost feel sorry for the entire cast because they have given such exceptional performances only to be let down by clichéd writing towards the end. But it still is a Dramedy worth watching.

Coming to the performances, there are absolutely no complaints here. I can safely say that Jason Sudeikis steals the show with his charm and timing. Rebecca Hall gives her best and suits for the role well. In fact we can watch the movie just for the leads' performances. The supporting cast does justice to their roles.

Verdict: Go for it!