Supernova
Bleecker StreetSupernova is a tender romance with beloved stars Colin Firth and Stanley Tucci. The pair play Sam (Firth) and Tusker (Tucci), a couple on a road trip to visit family and old friends. Their final destination is the Lake District where Sam, a pianist, is to perform a concert. The road trip serves another purpose however, as Tusker has been diagnosed with early-onset dementia. A final hurrah with loved ones before Tusker can’t remember them anymore.
Writer-director Harry Macqueen keeps much of Supernova in intimate moments, giving small peeks at Tusker and Sam’s love. They are almost always in cramped spaces, only showing the world that Sam and Tusker share together. Sam teases Tusker for using a paper map for directions, the couple walking their dog Ruby together – these little moments show the happy moments of their relationship, a chance for the audience to come to know Tusker and Sam. Macqueen also slowly shows more sorrowful moments, especially as Tusker’s dementia worsens. The couple sits with one another at the RV kitchen table as Sam interviews Tusker on how he is dealing with his dementia, Tusker states that he’s simply not. Another time Tusker goes missing from the RV, a worried Sam soon finds him, reassuring an onlooker before embracing a confused Tusker. Most of these scenes contain little dialogue, Macqueen instead relies on the actors’ body language to show the tenderness and sorrow between Tusker and Sam.
There is little backstory given, only passing remarks such as Tusker being an author and Sam worrying that he’s not doing enough to help Tusker, that reveals anything about their characters. These quiet details slowly aid to progress the film, one bit of emotion unveiling another. Hope, sadness, anger, worry, all are present throughout Supernova driving the plot along. The film is less a character study and more a look into the difficulties of coping with dementia. Supernova’s title suits the film’s events brutally well, small instances brewing before Supernova explodes when an impending revelation finally materialises.
Supernova requires an honest vulnerability to work. Macqueen, Firth, and Tucci all work together to make this happen. The film never feels exploitative or too sentimental, it has the perfect amount of emotion to tenderly tell Tusker and Sam’s story. Macqueen knows when to reveal certain details and when to hold them back, while Firth and Tucci have a clear connection to one another that makes Sam and Tusker’s relationship feel all the more real. Supernova beautifully captures a real experience, the tender care shown throughout this film is simply remarkable as all the emotions between Tusker and Sam slowly come to light. Supernova is an incredibly moving film, sure to bring anybody to tears.