Dan Levy, the son of Eugene and co-creator of TV comedy Schitt’s Creek, has made an agonisingly well-intentioned and indulgent feature debut with a bittersweet relationship dramedy for which he is writer, director, producer and star, set in and around various tasteful upmarket properties in London and Paris. The need for emotional honesty is a theme, and audiences are entitled to wonder if the role played by wealth in soothing broken hearts deserves to be discussed more openly here than it is.
Levy portrays Marc, an artist and illustrator whose potential is hindered, to some extent, by the success of his husband Oliver (Luke Evans), a renowned writer whose work has spawned a highly lucrative movie franchise. Although Marc is content in their relationship, he is also mourning the recent passing of his mother. He has a group of close friends that could be straight out of a Richard Curtis film: his ex-boyfriend and art dealer Thomas (Himesh Patel) constantly complains about his love life, while Sophie (Ruth Negga) is impulsive and chaotic. A tragic event occurs at a extravagant Christmas party hosted by Marc and Oliver, leading Marc to acquire information that causes him to reassess his relationship and his own life.
In one instance, he compares the feeling of grief to swimming while wearing clothes that cannot be taken off. Although this is a powerful line, it also reflects the experience of watching the movie. The film tries to balance heartfelt sincerity with contrived romcom dialogue that does not sound like natural human conversation. These types of speeches may be suitable for delivering humor and jokes, but unfortunately, there are not many moments of comedy. However, David Bradley’s portrayal of Oliver’s father is moving and his dialogue is more straightforward and genuine. Good Grief is undeniably earnest and showcases Levy’s beautiful singing voice in a karaoke scene. There are also energetic appearances from Emma Corrin and Kaitlyn Dever, as well as Celia Imrie as Marc’s lawyer, who delivers a poignant speech about her own hidden pain.
Source: theguardian.com
