Finally. Two gay men who have been together forever. I was sure after the grand success of CALL ME BY YOUR NAME that more gay romances - for men of any age - would be following. And now we have one, and that is a step in the right direction.
Spoiler alert: Don’t watch the trailer, as it reveals WAY too much.
Director Harry Macqueen has filmed his screenplay with a simple honest style totally in harmony with this two stars - Colin Firth and Stanley Tucci. At times, they seem way too young for a couple dealing with early onset dementia – the actors were both born in 1960. And Tucci, especially, seems remote throughout, not really leaning into the loss of words or people or events that other actors could have overplayed.
Firth on the other hand, spins a heart-rending update to his character from A Single Man. How does it feel when your partner is lost? The close ups of Firth are amazing, and he can shred an emotional scene with the best in the business.
The move looks terrific, with a beautiful score (which Firth plays the piano for at one point) that makes you want to buy an old trailer and hit the rock wall lined country roads of Great Britain.
Some would have liked to first rate gay actors like Derek Jacobi and Ian McKellen play these great characters, probably with more power than Macqueen allows us to have.
But what’s done is done , and finally having a good movie with two men who have completed each other for decades must be enough.
But what’s done is done , and finally having a good movie with two men who have completed each other must be enough.