A Bit of Light

It's so rare we see female protagonists as unlikeable or Fk ups. Women who's choices have affected their lives profoundly. Women who are suffering with mental health issues and struggling with motherhood. Those women are out there. We need to see more of them. I think it's so brave of writer producer Rebecca Callard to present a challenging but necessary story that resonates with so many women. It's moving and brilliantly acted, cast and directed. Anna Paquin gives An AMZING and honest performance. More stories like this. More women like this. When we talk about representation this is what we mean. We need brave producers and writers willing to show our flaws, our vulnerabilities and our multi dimensions.

In sombre yet brightish Brit drama "A Bit Of Light" alcoholic Anna Paquin (decent - despite her Kiwi accent kicking in) loses custody of her kids to ex Youssef Kerkour & his new partner Pippa Bennet-Warner. She lives back with dad Ray Winstone (surprisingly restrained - he's excellent) who like Kerkour & Bennet-Warner wish her well - but her demons haunt her. These dynamics work, but in adapting her own play debut writer Rebecca Callard (who also cameos) then throws in toady teen Luca Hogan as an unnecessary & annoying main character. Still, director Stephen Moyes brings it all home warmly, and despite those flaws it's interesting & engaging enough (just about).

This is a rather small movie and since there are very few reviews I surmise that relatively few have seen it. It features Anna Paquin and was directed by her husband. Set in a London community, it ends in Scarborough on the NE England coast.

As the story developed it reminded me of the 2020 movie "Dare to Dream" with Katie Holmes and Josh Lucas, where she was a widow and this mysterious man shows up just in time to help her get her life together.

This story is quite different but it features Luca Hogan as Neil, a boy of 13 about to turn 14. He is always nice and proper and has a knack for saying the right thing at the right moment. He claims he never gets cold and he says his older parents don't care where he is. I began to wonder if he represented some sort of divine facilitator who would disappear just when his job was done.

Anna Paquin is Ella, about to turn 40. (Probably her actual age during filming.) We see she is living in her father's house and we gradually learn she lost her children to their dad and his new wife because of her problem with alcoholism. She is required to attend meetings but she hates them. When Neil enters her life, when both of them are on the playground observing kids at play, he has a positive influence on her.

Ella goes through anger and self-pity for being in the situation she created but I found the quiet scenes between Ella and Niel to be the most interesting. While I wouldn't classify this as a great movie it is interesting and Paquin is good in the role. My wife and I watched it streaming at home.

This is a touching story showing the struggles of a woman to stabilise her life and regain custody of her children. She has felt unsupported through her difficulties and feels isolated even though her father is at hand. But they are disconnected, until with the kindness and care of a young man she begins to see light at the end of the tunnel and to re-establish a life for herself. What a beautifully directed story. The whole cast, headed by Anna Paquin portray the joys and failings we all have in our lives and Director Steven Moyer excels for his part in showing us some true to life characters played by Anna Paquin, Ray Winstone and (newcomer) Luca Hogan along with Youssef Kerkour and Pippa Bennet-Warner. A brilliant piece of writing from Rebecca Callard. Thoroughly enjoyable movie.