Prolific
character-actor/part-time writer-director Harry Macqueen first burst onto the
indie drama scene with his 2014 road trip tale of longstanding friendship Hinterland. Roughly six years later, Macqueen returns to
the director’s chair with another road movie of a different sort. The aptly named Supernova (not to be
confused with a really bad 2000 sci-fi/horror film of the same name) presents
Same (Colin Firth) and Tusker (Stanley Tucci), a middle aged gay couple on a
cross country trip across England to the Lake District to reunite with friends
and family. Initially a talky but sweet
road picture, the film shifts gears when it becomes apparent Tusker is diagnosed
with early onset dementia, forcing the couple to come to grips with the gravity
of their situation and what it means for both people.
A
quiet, modestly sized scenic English travelogue as dramatic tearjerker, Supernova
is at once joyous and heart wrenching as the two leads face their own
mortality and what it means to face the world alone. While fully written and directed by Macqueen,
the strength of the piece lies with the performances which are emotionally rich
without the actors overplaying their roles and the dramatic arcs feeling genuine
rather than forced. Firth has always
been a fine British actor and here he has some rough emotions to grapple with
onscreen. Tucci makes the dementia
suffering partner at once funny and full of life before the encroaching disorder
slowly crushes his spirit.
While
not necessarily a plot driven venture, the reality of these two characters
trying to squeeze out whatever joy they have from one another’s companionship
as the clock continues to tick is despairingly sad to see but both actors bring
their ordeal so much life you’re caught up with them anyway. Unlike the recently released Let Him Go which
started out as a travelogue before devolving into a violent thriller, Supernova
proceeds at a leisurely pace towards a conclusion we expect but also feels true
rather than contrived. A tender film
full of heart and yearning, Supernova deals with the prospect of
dementia realistically without becoming punishing and above all is a testament
to how far someone else will go for a loved one.
--Andrew Kotwicki
