LFF Review: ‘Supernova’
The sophomore film of Harry Macqueen sees Stanley Tucci and Colin Firth star as long-term lovers who have set off on a road trip to visit friends and family due to Tusker’s (Tucci) two-year long dementia diagnosis coming to a helm.
Supernova is a quiet slice of realism that profoundly examines the power of autonomy and the desire for control of one’s destiny when that begins to slip away. It’s an incredibly focused piece, requiring an attentive audience that’ll lean into its reticence which is not at all challenging in a world as fully realised as this.
The cast and crew had one vision on their journey of bringing this story to life. Every component of Supernova works in equal harmony, so well-crafted it feels like a novel adaptation. Sarah Finlay‘s production design feels like an autumn evening, allowing for all the more intimacy as Tucci and Firth work their magic in a carefully curated chemistry, lovingly captured by the film’s cinematographer, Dick Pope.
Both protagonists take care of their characters with real grace and caution, digging deep into the nuances of loving someone you know you are losing, an experience that is mutual for both Sam (Firth) and Tusker. Macqueen mined a splendidly rhythmic relationship out of the couple who had a precise banter that only comes from years of deep understanding of someone. They have their habits and repeated jokes, things that make the other laugh, as well as touch a nerve, they fall asleep holding hands each night, all the details delicately embroidered into the fabric of a relationship.
Macqueen defiantly dodged the sophomore slump, drawing some powerfully potent performances from two veteran actors who audiences know and love. It is hard not to get swept away by the majesty of Supernova. The warmth and familiarity make it all the more devastating as the couple persists for patience while they navigate new territory. As well as a fragile romance, there is a tension between the two, which they lean into with delicacy. Supernova relies heavily on its two leads playing with the underlining subtext of each line. They play a game of back of forth until they eventually reach the overriding conversation that starts the unraveling of the end, the thing they were prolonging and avoiding.
It is all at once heart-breaking and life-affirming, a real triumph for everyone involved, and sure enough, with its quiet magic, it’ll capture your heart and leave you wondering if there was ever point you were not crying. – Billie Melissa
Rating: 4/5
Supernova screened at the 2020 London Film Festival.