UK Premiere

Short Synopsis:

Jack needs someone to talk to...

Review:

Brothers Jack and Danny have their world turned upside down when their ill mother dies. Danny, at eighteen, is now responsible for his little brother; a task he resents, but accepts to carry out as a promise he made to his mother. Jack constructs a surrogate ‘mummy’ out of a mannequin and his mother’s makeup and wig, in an attempt to hang on to their past existence. Danny falls into the world of loud parties and drugs, and while his new girlfriend Zoe is sweet and offers some stability, she has no idea of the situation she has stepped into. While Danny struggles to juggle taking care of Jack alongside his career as an aspiring DJ, it becomes clear that they both have to move on in order to do what’s right.

Director Matthew Thompson has crafted an incredibly moving film which focuses on grief, which is shown from denial through acceptance. This is, however, far more than just a psychological study. It depicts a coming of age for Danny (played with a rare mixture of complexity and genuineness by Aaron Johnson). It also shows the effect of loss at a young age for Jack stunning debut for Thomas Grant, whose extreme politeness endears us to him. Most affecting, however, is the poignancy that results from seeing that doing the right thing is not always as easy as it sounds.

JG