All My Puny Sorrows

This is not a film for everyone. It moves at a slow burn. It addresses the repeated tragedy of suicide in a family. It lets its story rest in its characters. The heartbeats are daily struggle, silent moments, deep bonds and literate musings. If it were not for the extraordinary talents of the cast this film would lose its footing but there is great talent here. I give this film an 8 (masterfully performed) out of 10. {Drama}

The most beautifully written piece I've seen in a very long time. And splendid acting by all...especially Mare Winninham and Alison Pill. Surprising humor considering the dark subject matter.

The film achieves its goal in displaying the multitude of effects that illness can take on a family and the very real endless concern that is required and rightfully present. The film does not censor or shy away from how difficult a challenge this is and does a good job showing how this trauma can impact generations of the family.

The performances are good with a very appropriate soundtrack.

This isn't a fun watch, but it is profoundly good, honest cinema. The subject matter is emotionally complex. The performances by Sarah Gadon, Alison Pill, and Mare Winningham are compelling. Lesser actors would not have been able to express the complexity of the feelings with such directed intent.

The movie isn't perfect. At 103 minutes, the movie isn't all that long, but there are some editing choices that could have made for a better pace. There are multi-minute segments that drag a little bit. Honestly, I think the movie would have been fine if the last eleven minutes were edited out.

That said, this is a good movie if you are in the mood to feel some melancholy.

Yoli (Alison Pill) is having something personal issues. She has teenage daughter Nora (Amybeth McNulty) and is getting divorced. Her sister Elf (Sarah Gadon) tried to kill herself. Lottie (Mare Winningham) is her mother. Jake (Donal Logue) is her father. Her beloved aunt Tina (Mimi Kuzyk) has a heart attack. The family is Canadian Mennonite.

Michael McGowan is the writer and director. It's adapted from a novel by Miriam Toews. It's obviously coming from personal experiences. It's not a movie of action or thrills or even plot points. It is a movie of personal drama. Alison Pill delivers a varied powerful performance. She has her cry moments, anger moments, and comedic moments which she is apt to do. One must be aware however that this movie is not a mover.