An absolute hidden gem of a film, with excellent performances all around and some gorgeous Louisiana scenery as a bonus.
Eddie Redmayne is endearingly off-kilter as Gordy, bang-up Southern accent included. Kristen Stewart reminds us all, yet again, that she is a truly gifted actress in anything that doesn't involve sparkly vampires, and the adorable chemistry she has with Redmayne doesn't hurt either.
But this film belongs to William Hurt and Maria Bello as Brett and May. Bello in particular is at her earthy best here, blending pain, fire, and vulnerability into a subtle, nuanced, and heartbreakingly lovely performance. Meanwhile, Hurt gives an absolute master class in the art of saying everything with almost nothing. He is achingly believable as a lonely man who just wants to find his way home again, hoping against hope that the woman he let go will find her way back to him. In the end, though, he's the one to find his way back to her, and the touching reunion between two people who love each other more than they've ever loved anything else in the world is enough to melt the hardest of hearts. As flawed, broken, and imperfect as they are, against all the odds they somehow find that they're perfect for each other.
In short: the music is perfect, the cinematography lovely, but it's the performances that make this film. For anyone who has ever believed in "love conquers all", this is a must-watch.
An absolute hidden gem of a film, with excellent performances all around and some gorgeous Louisiana scenery as a bonus.
Eddie Redmayne is endearingly off-kilter as Gordy, bang-up Southern accent included. Kristen Stewart reminds us all, yet again, that she is a truly gifted actress in anything that doesn't involve sparkly vampires, and the adorable chemistry she has with Redmayne doesn't hurt either.
But this film belongs to William Hurt and Maria Bello as Brett and May. Bello in particular is at her earthy best here, blending pain, fire, and vulnerability into a subtle, nuanced, and heartbreakingly lovely performance. Meanwhile, Hurt gives an absolute master class in the art of saying everything with almost nothing. He is achingly believable as a lonely man who just wants to find his way home again, hoping against hope that the woman he let go will find her way back to him. In the end, though, he's the one to find his way back to her, and the touching reunion between two people who love each other more than they've ever loved anything else in the world is enough to melt the hardest of hearts. As flawed, broken, and imperfect as they are, against all the odds they somehow find that they're perfect for each other.
In short: the music is perfect, the cinematography lovely, but it's the performances that make this film. For anyone who has ever believed in "love conquers all", this is a must-watch.