by Charles Kirkland, Jr.
Reliving the good old times, two friends travel across the countryside but a terrible secret looms, waiting to destroy everything in Supernova.
Sam (Colin Firth) and Tusker (Stanley Tucci) are lovers traveling the English countryside before Sam’s next concert. It’s a great trip as they travel to Tusker’s old home to celebrate his birthday. It’s also a welcome time for remembering things past. Tusker has been fighting dementia for two years and the trip is good for jogging his memories. Sam has a surprise birthday party for Tusker when they arrive at his old home. Tusker has a surprise for Sam too. Can their love survive the exposure of this new secret?
Supernova is an emotional romantic drama starring Firth and Tucci. It is the second film written and directed by Harry Macqueen (Hinterland). Much like Hinterland, this film is a tender and deliberate look at the effects time and life have upon a relationship.
Firth and Tucci are well cast as lovers. Their sweet chemistry is undeniable and convincing. Tucci is heartbreaking as the writer who is losing not just his ability to write but is struggling to even recognize himself or his lover. He exemplifies all that is terrible about the disease of dementia and the effects it has upon its victims. Firth’s role is important because he shows the effects the disease has upon those who love the victims.
The first problem with Supernova is that the movie’s pacing is very slow and the story just meanders. It is understandable that Macqueen wants to be deliberate and pensive and revelatory but his approach borders upon boring which threatens to undermine the goals of the film. The largest of which is to exemplify that love loves no matter what form it takes. Sam and Tusker are given a universal and undefeated foe to overcome and their experience is supposed to be one to which all people can relate.
The second problem in the story is that Tusker takes drastic action to combat the foe that is uncommon to most people who engage in this fight. It is a classic and selfish action in an attempt to take control of his life that disregards not just the feelings of those who care for him but abandons all possibility of hope. While the belief in control is an illusion, hope is a reality and often one must be given up for the other to thrive. Macqueen’s story does a great job to promote the action but fails to illuminate upon the disastrous outcomes the action has upon those around him.
Supernova is a tender and sweet ride down the rabbit-hole. Rated R for language, it romanticizes an impossible condition and the impossibly hard decisions that have to be made as a result. Tucci and Firth are fantastic in the film, turning in exemplary performances that are real and deep. The problem lies in the lack of depth of the story.
Grade: C+