All My Puny Sorrows

Sometimes letting go of grief is worse than the grief itself, for in letting go we risk losing this part of our true selves and our life experience. In other words, punting the ball down the field does not help in dealing with and defeating what ails the psyche. We must grapple with it and pull through.

Sisters Yoli and Elf struggle to deal with the depression and doubt that plagues their family and lives. Suffering seems to be inherited for them. Elf, a concert pianist, tried to kill herself and intends to try again. Yoli attempts to convince her sister to stay alive, but Yoli is not a model of healthy living herself and faces a nearly impossible task. Society conspires against the sisters too in that its focus is on shame and profits rather than truth and healing. There is hope for the sisters, and others in the same boat, in that life is always teaching lessons, and there is so much to learn, and so much that is beautiful.

All My Puny Sorrows is moody and emotional like its characters. There are sudden shifts in focus. For all the dark moments, there are others full of light and laughter. At times the actors struggle with the heavy themes around depression and suicide, but the authenticity of the story shines through such faults. I treasured the reasons for living that Yoli found in this heartfelt and candid story. "I used to wake up in the morning singing," said Yoli. If only we all could do more things like this. And quote more poetry. Awareness replacing ignorance, empathy for others over convenience, and truth before profit and fear. Watching Yoli, Elf, and their loved ones deal with the grief gives me hope for the world. We are supposed to help each other after all.

World premiere seen at the Toronto international film festival. Film based on a novel by Miriam Toews.

This isn't a fun watch, but it is profoundly good, honest cinema. The subject matter is emotionally complex. The performances by Sarah Gadon, Alison Pill, and Mare Winningham are compelling. Lesser actors would not have been able to express the complexity of the feelings with such directed intent.

The movie isn't perfect. At 103 minutes, the movie isn't all that long, but there are some editing choices that could have made for a better pace. There are multi-minute segments that drag a little bit. Honestly, I think the movie would have been fine if the last eleven minutes were edited out.

That said, this is a good movie if you are in the mood to feel some melancholy.

This was a great film, delving into the difficult subject of loss, grief, mental health (& it's woefully inadequate treatments) & suicide.

This movie focusses on a woman grieving the loss of her father, while she tries to help and juggle her time between her sister's depressive condition, & her mother, aunt & daughter, whose lives have all experienced the ensuing turmoil of a family members suicide.

The characters are all portrayed well, especially the two leads, the two sisters, as we watch their very different lifestyles, following their father's death.

One is a very successful & talented musician, but cannot face life for her depression, the other is a struggling writer, hoping for a break, but so busy with concerns for the wellbeing of her sister, mother, aunt and daughter.

The acting is good, the characters easy to feel empathy for, most importantly they're all believable - I don't recall a line, or scene, or character that didn't play true, a well constructed, thoughtful film, that was very true, very lifelike.

All the components needed for a good drama.

Simple, elegant and emotional. Allison Pill and Sarah Gadon deliver performances I am speechless to describe. It is a heart breaking journey but one I want to see over and over again so I can revel in their beautiful performances. I'm also happy and proud about the Canadian representation.

The film achieves its goal in displaying the multitude of effects that illness can take on a family and the very real endless concern that is required and rightfully present. The film does not censor or shy away from how difficult a challenge this is and does a good job showing how this trauma can impact generations of the family.

The performances are good with a very appropriate soundtrack.