Longtime couple Sam, a musician and Tusker, a novel writer, are taking a holiday in their RV in beautiful landscapes of England (we are never told the exact location). It's only when Tusker finds himself haplessly in the middle of traffic, we come to know that Tusker is in the early stages of dementia, and the excursion may be the last time the squabbling but loving pair gets the opportunity to travel together. They visit Sam's sisters home, maybe one last time when extended family and friends are getting together, not knowing where this disease will take Tusker and thereby Sam's future. During the get together, San discovers a horrible secret that Tusker has been hiding from him. His deterioration is much worse than Sam knew to the extent that Tusker can no longer write on paper. Tusker has made quiet, stoic peace with his fate, independently tying up what loose ends of his life he can in the uncertain amount of time he has left. He had almost taken a decision that completely would have broken Sam up. The two men confront the issue and in their own way drop their tacitly agreed defences of denial and delay, and speak bluntly about what’s best for them individually, landing on quite different answers along the way.
First thing you notice in the film is the absolutely gorgeous landscapes and locations which make you want to take a holiday right now. From a story perspective, yes there is not much happening here and like I mentioned, The entire film is on the shoulders of Colin Firth as Sam and Stanley Tucci as Tusker. Tusker's heartbreaking struggle as he is losing himself and desperation to hold on to whatever he can is just mesmerizing. Equally heartbreaking is Sam's plight as he confronts the reality that the love of his life is disappearing right before his eyes. This is not a crisis on which any kind of compromise can be reached. What will happen to the couple's future? The last 20 minutes are heartbreaking where there is a big confrontation scene and you see how the two men are dealing with the situation in their own way. There is no right or wrong and there are no judgements. Plenty other moments like the one where Tusker can't read his own speech and asks Sam to read it can easily shake anyone up. You want the goods for this amazingly loving couple. The great chemistry that the 2 guys share is unbelievable. They bring out the tenderness of their relationship in a way just like a real life old long term couple would do. The commitment and emotional depth that these two veterans bring to the film is commendable and so is the director's vision.
The film is not heavy on dialogues, its more in the body language, the silences, the glances and this possibly can be frustrating for quite a few viewers, I imagine. You may not remember the film for its very simple storyline and the big arguments to wards the end, but you will not be able to forget the film because of two amazing standout performances by its leads. The film makes you want to believe in the power of love and togetherness. Just be patient is all I ask. (8/10)
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