Sam and Tusker are traveling across England in their old RV to visit friends, family and places from their past. Since Tusker was diagnosed with dementia two years ago, their time together is the most important thing they have.
‘Supernova’ is a touching drama about a couple coming to terms with one of them being diagnosed with early onset dementia. They are Sam and Tusker, played by Colin Firth and Stanley Tucci respectively, and the film follows them as they embark on a journey across England to the Lake District to reunite with friends and family. They have been together for 20 years and their relationship was going through a rocky patch when Tucker’s diagnosis was received, and the film follows both men as they come to terms with this news and the implications it has on their relationship.
The film is directed by Harry Macqueen, who has only made one film before (‘Hinterland’), and I thought it was a really moving and touching story with terrific performances. Firth and Tucci are wonderful together, conveying a sense of a lived in relationship with all the stresses and strains that entails. Both react to Tucker’s diagnosis in different ways and the fact their relationship was in trouble beforehand adds an extra level of complexity to how both men proceed. They share an interest in space and the stars (hence the title) and I felt this was blended into the plot effectively, acting as a metaphor in many respects for the situation they are going through. Ultimately it’s a movie about accepting mortality and coming to terms with your fate and I felt ‘Supernova’ covered its themes with nuance and care.
‘Supernova’ features approaching career best performances from Colin Firth and Stanley Tucci in this heartbreaking tale of a couple coming to terms with the end of their relationship as they once knew it, and I thought it was excellent.
Rating: 4/5
Directed By: Harry Macqueen
Starring: Colin Firth, Stanley Tucci, Pippa Haywood, Peter Macqueen, James Dreyfus, Ian Drysdale and Sarah Woodward
'Feeling is not selective, I keep telling you that. You can’t feel pain, you aren’t gonna feel anything else, either’ Ordinary People (1980) 