This movie is a haunting slice of life because it takes people, complicated, humanly weak and messed-up people and lets their complexities speak for themselves.
The titular character, May (Anne Reid) is COMPLETELY believable as a widow who has subjugated her whole life to being a wife and mother. There are things about this movie that remind me of "Shirley Valentine" and "The Subject was Roses" - yet it stands on its own as a powerful story of many people, all trying to find their way.
There are many relationships - daughter, son, mother, handyman - yet they all intersect in a way that is complex and mirrors life more than the average movie - luckily for us the viewers, this movie is anything but average.
There will be some that will be put-off by the sexually explicit scenes and drawings- yet to leave them out would be a cheat in a movie like this one. It is about someone that is closer to the end than the beginning trying to live and do the things that we take for granted when we are young. It puts the issue of ageism right in your face and if you are honest, it makes you ask, as she does in the movie, "Why not?"
All of the performances are first rate and believable. Add to that wonderfully realistic dialog, beautiful, natural cinematography and a lovely score and you have a real gem.
I don't want to go too far into details of the movie because it is one to be experienced. Even trying to write a review I felt someone inadequate to the task because this is a movie that you must feel as you watch it. That said, I highly recommend this movie- I haven't stopped thinking about it since I saw it days ago.
The titular character, May (Anne Reid) is COMPLETELY believable as a widow who has subjugated her whole life to being a wife and mother. There are things about this movie that remind me of "Shirley Valentine" and "The Subject was Roses" - yet it stands on its own as a powerful story of many people, all trying to find their way.
There are many relationships - daughter, son, mother, handyman - yet they all intersect in a way that is complex and mirrors life more than the average movie - luckily for us the viewers, this movie is anything but average.
There will be some that will be put-off by the sexually explicit scenes and drawings- yet to leave them out would be a cheat in a movie like this one. It is about someone that is closer to the end than the beginning trying to live and do the things that we take for granted when we are young. It puts the issue of ageism right in your face and if you are honest, it makes you ask, as she does in the movie, "Why not?"
All of the performances are first rate and believable. Add to that wonderfully realistic dialog, beautiful, natural cinematography and a lovely score and you have a real gem.
I don't want to go too far into details of the movie because it is one to be experienced. Even trying to write a review I felt someone inadequate to the task because this is a movie that you must feel as you watch it. That said, I highly recommend this movie- I haven't stopped thinking about it since I saw it days ago.