'Supernova' Review
R: For language
Runtime: 1 Hr and 35 Minutes
Production Companies: British Film Institute, BBC Films, Quiddity Films, The Bureau
Distributor: Bleecker Street
Director: Harry Macqueen
Writer: Harry Macqueen
Cast: Colin Firth, Stanley Tucci
Release Date: January 29, 2021
Sam and Tusker, partners of 20 years, are traveling across England in their old RV visiting friends, family, and places from their past. Since Tusker was diagnosed with early-onset dementia two years ago, their time together is the most important thing they have.
Colin Firth and Stanley Tucci, two of the most adored actors who make you go, “Wait, they’re not actually gay? But they play gay characters so well!” portray a loving homosexual couple in this intimate romantic drama that is as heartwarming as it is heartbreaking. Between Supernova and The World to Come (another gay romantic drama released by Bleecker Street this awards season), Hollywood obviously wants to make sure gay couples won’t be happy this year. Harry Macqueen’s Supernova has a simple premise; a middle-aged married couple, Sam (Firth) and Tusker (Tucci) go on holiday together, seeing the sights, stargazing, and visiting old friends while Tusker is slowly dying of dementia. They want to make sure this holiday is amazing because it’ll likely be their last.
Many straight actors that portray gay characters tend to do so in an over-the-top flamboyant manner. Hell, Tucci himself has done it ample times throughout his career. In Supernova, both leads are their naturally charming selves. As the film opens with them traveling through the fields of England in an RV, recounting their past together and vibing in each other’s company, you instantly feel their chemistry. You can feel the weight, the history, and the love shared between the pair, but the situation regarding Tusker’s dementia gets heavier as the film progresses.
Watching Supernova reminded me of the 2012 Academy Award-winning French film Amour. I was 14 years old when that film was released and due to my age, I never really gripped onto the concept of death, specifically the emotional weight of caring for your significant other as they slowly die. Therefore, I didn’t like Amour, but I enjoyed Supernova, which explores that emotionally heavy subject without being overly sentimental or melodramatic. The film leans towards Sam’s perspective as he feels the burden of being Tusker’s keeper throughout what is shaping up to be their final moments together. Macqueen’s screenplay doesn’t shy away from the harsh truths of reality and tells this tragic yet poignant tale in a grounded, down-to-earth manner. There are ample moments during Sam and Tusker’s journey that completely choke you up, ranging from Tusker having an episode about his whereabouts to Sam reading his lover’s letter to their close friends at a surprise party, Tusker reacting silently as Sam chokes through the tearful speech. All of those heavy moments are earned organically. The film is open about its emotional vulnerability and my Pisces ass was completely into it. By the end, I had a river of tears streaming down my face.
Apart from the performances and heavy-hitting subject matter that delves into an unexpected, raw yet understandable place, the film is also relatively short. It’s barely over 90 minutes long and this might be the first film I wish was a tad bit longer because I really loved these characters. I loved the love between Sam and Tusker and their intimacy. I may not be a homosexual — only queer in the non-binary gender sense — but damn, it had me craving to be loved in the same vein as what Hello, Dolly! did for Wall-E… all while putting the fear of disease, aging, and our limited time on earth in me. Tucci and Firth embrace their respective characters so effortlessly that I wanted to spend some more time with them. The film is so well-paced that moments never overstay their welcome. But damn… if this is Sam and Tusker at their most tragic, I want to see them at their lightest.
Supernova is emotionally heavy but for what it’s worth, this romantic drama is a surprisingly strong journey that leaps over familiar trappings through poignant, down-to-earth screenplay and direction, along with powerful yet tender performances from Colin Firth and Stanley Tucci.
