Good Grief Review

 Director: Dan Levy

Cast: Dan Levy, Ruth Negga, Himesh Patel, Luke Evans, Celia Imrie, Arnaud Valois, David Bradley

Screenplay: Dan Levy

Running Length: 1:40

MPAA Classification: R (Language)

U.S Release Date: 1-05-24 (Netflix)

Genre: Comedy/Drama

    

               Maybe my expectations were too high. After creating one of my favorite sitcoms in the last ten years, I expected more from Dan Levy's (Schitt's Creek) directorial debut. Good Grief is by no means a bad film; in fact, it contains its share of powerful moments and features a trio of fine performances from its three leads, but it only manages to scratch the surface when it comes to exploring its themes of love and loss.

              The film begins at a Christmas party hosted by painter-turned-illustrator Marc (Dan Levy) and his best-selling author husband, Oliver (Luke Evans), that they throw every year in their London home. Tragedy strikes when Oliver is killed in a car crash after leaving the party early for a work trip to Paris. This leads Marc down a path of grief and hopelessness, despite his best friends Sophie (Ruth Negga) and Thomas' (Himesh Patel) best efforts to help him heal and pull his life back together. Then one day Marc finds out that there might have been more to Oliver's trip to Paris than just work, like, why did he have an apartment in Paris that he never knew about? Confused and hurt by this revelation, Marc heads to Paris along with Sophie and Thomas in the hopes of finding some answers. 

            There's nothing special about the story; we've seen this play out in countless other films, and the lack of any surprises is what ultimately mutes its emotional impact. Were there times in the film that I was moved? Yes, in fact, the most powerful scene in the film is in the beginning during the funeral, where Oliver's father (played by David Bradley) gives a heartbreaking eulogy. Part of that is thanks to Bradley, who delivers it with such sincerity that it's almost impossible not to shed a tear, but it's also where Levy's writing really shines. There's also an aimless quality to the story; once we get to Paris, there's a subplot involving a potential love interest for Marc, where he spends time with a man named Theo (Arnaud Valois), whom he met back in London not too long after his husband’s death. While this storyline is sweet in its own right, it detracts from the main one and never meshes well into the overall arc. 

            Whatever faults the film may have, the acting is not one of them. Negga shines as Sofie, while Patel's Thomas and Levy's Marc provide a nice balance to her larger-than-life character. The chemistry between the three of them is strong, and if there's a reason to see the film, it's because of their performances. The other person worth mentioning here is David Bradley, who, despite appearing in only a handful of scenes, manages to leave a huge impression with his moving portrayal as Oliver’s father. 

            Part of me wonders if maybe this would have been better as a miniseries. I wouldn't mind spending more time with these individuals; I just wish the story surrounding them had been more interesting. This is a very safe film, and Levy's script doesn't offer any new perspectives when it comes to grief and love. Still, despite its flaws, the performances and poignant moments make it a worthwhile choice for this time of the year, even if I couldn’t help but feel like the film should have packed more of an emotional wallop.