Goodbye June

When your mom is Kate Winslet, you get a couple of shortcuts to the opportunity doors, no doubt about it. Such is the case for the writer of this movie, her own son. And when you add to that her influence to enlist some of the top talent on the planet, including Dame Helen Mirren herself, you have a leg or two up on other start-ups. Not to mention throwing her money into the hat as co-producer of the project and enjoying a major press tour to promote it.

That being said and considered, the kid did a decent job with the script! Whoever decides to watch this movie is aware of the premise so it doesn't feel fair to critique that premise after the fact, in my opinion.

Each actor brought a uniqueness to their roles and it did emerge beyond the Hallmark saccharine level quite adequately. As the mother of 3 girls and 1 boy who are now adults, I could relate to a lot of it, and by the end of the movie, we are left with hope, and appreciation for what we have.

How does one circumcise a face? A comment that made me and others laugh. Goodbye June is an engaging, relatable, sometimes funny, sometimes touching, movie that definitely has a feel-good definite ending, which may upset some viewers that think that everything is tied up too nicely at the end. This said, it's meant to be a family and Christmas movie, and the point of watching such movies is often to see situations resolved in the best way possible.

No spoilers. This review is honest, not groveling. I've seen Goodbye June three times in cinemas, noticing new details every single time, before its Netflix December 24 release. Definitely worth a watch in a cinema setting. Coincidentally, I also saw Lee four times when it premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.

I had incredibly high expectations for Goodbye June, as a huge Kate Winslet fan and already knowing so much about the film. So, I was scared it wouldn't meet my expectations. But I thoroughly enjoyed it, including the non-dialog parts which added a lot to the viewing experience, such as the stealing of a sandwich bite. I liked the different angles, such as from June's point of view (which Kate talked about in an interview). I laughed at parts unexpected, more than the audience who were about twenty years older than me. I'm Canadian and perhaps more expressive. I saw this in Chichester two times, and at the very independent small theatre Lexi Cinema in London.

There were a few unexpected twists which I appreciated, and not given away by any of the trailers. And yes, June really did pass away on her own terms, which can be appreciated in any times such as the approaching passing away of a loved one.

Perhaps a controversial comment, but I found the writing of this screenplay to be more streamlined and better, than the script for Lee which I found to be disjointed at points. Lee could have used some moments to really teach the audience. An example is the rape scene where the line was "next time he does it, cut it off", a complete waste of a moment that could have been used much more powerfully. Maybe this is because several writers worked on Lee. Whereas in Goodbye June, it was just one scriptwriter, Kate's son Joe Anders.

Toni Collette's character was hilarious but also a bit too caricature in some parts, which made it less believable and effective. Though it's obvious her character is initially meant to be humorous, it is stronger when it becomes more real and serious in the latter half.

I liked the duality of some scenes, in other words, parallel things happening at the same time, shown via back-and-forth editing.

Kate's direction was flawless, I would have never guessed it's her directorial debut. I loved the choices of how to show different scenes including the ones with snow. As Kate fans, we all have seen her cry many times. But she did find new ways of crying, as Julia. This said, Kate was not the strongest actor out of the whole stellar iconic cast. I noticed elements of Mare and even April from Revolutionary Road. Speaking of crying, I didn't cry but was close to a tear or two at points. A reason for this is that I was still in shock to see this opening night. I heard sniffles from the audience, and some people I talked to found this movie to be cathartic. There were some people I talked to who didn't find this to be an overly strong movie, so perspectives were mixed.

Regarding nepotism, admittedly this has nothing to do with this rating: Some of us wish that Kate admits that as talented as her children are, the reason they get work is because their mom is Kate. A just-as-talented screenwriter at age 21 can't just have their mom get the movie done, and ask icons like Helen Mirren to star. Nepotism doesn't mean you aren't talented (Joe and Mia are definitely talented), but it means you get way more opportunities to have your work done and seen. Perhaps it's better public relations to just admit this.

But I'm so glad this film was made, by the people it was made by, and starring the people it starred. I especially liked Johnny Flynn (though by the third watch, I found his character to be a bit one dimensional), Timothy Spall, and of course Helen, and even the children were amazing and REAL. But I have to give a kudos to Elias Whittaker who plays Tibalt. Every moment with him on screen was magic, he was just so incredibly real in everything he said and did.

Finally, I'm not sure the movie deserves its 15 rating. Maybe it's because it's a movie about death. I barely noticed any bad words, maybe because they were said in moments that would be real to say them.

June collapses early one morning and is rushed to hospital. Her son and two of her daughters are given the news that her health has taken a turn for the worse. Eldest daughter Helen arrives, and the siblings' deep problems quickly surface.

Most companies have the idea that Christmas films should be uplifting, heartwarming or fun. Not Netflix. Their idea of a Christmas film is a family feud at the bedside of a woman in hospital.

I didn't love it, but I did like it. For many, it'll perhaps be a little too close to home. It's reflective, almost painful, but there are some humorous moments and realistic elements too. Grief does strange things - fear and guilt can make people selfish and cruel, often forgetting the person at the centre of events.

The script is very good, with natural dialogue and interactions. June is very ill, but still sharp and full of plain speaking. Connor is adorable, a caring, sweet-natured son who's always there. I could easily have locked Molly in the operating theatre. Johnny Flynn is at his best, and fair play to Andrea Riseborough too - so good.

Helen Mirren - what can you say? Only a few months ago she was cracking murders in 'The Thursday Murder Club', looking amazing. Here she presents an entirely different character, and her acting is on another level.

I loved the scene where Jules and Molly finally have to confront one another, and the ending naturally had me in tears. Winslet, Spall, Colette - all on point. You have to credit the casting director for such a strong ensemble.

Nice to see a positive presentation of the NHS. I'm not sure Hallmark will be pinching this formula for its syrupy Christmas films next year. Perhaps it would have been better suited to a random Saturday in August.

Sad, quiet, reflective - a Christmas film very much unlike any other.

8/10.

Exceptional performances of very relatable characters. It's a beautiful depiction of the relentless quest of a mother to unite her family! Laughter and tears will flow, but thankfully in equal enough measure not to be exhausting. This is not the sort of film that will keep you guessing, but neither is it a cliché, rather it delivers a well balanced emotional reality. Highly recommend.

The best thing in the movie is Timothy Spall's scarily convincing portrayal of the semi-senile father. He's not entirely demented, at least not all the time -- he has moments of affability and affection for his wife and kids -- but he's mostly just a tiresome burden who's lost in his own world.

As you'd expect (and as all the critics agree), everyone in the cast is marvelous, and Winslet's directorial debut is perfectly fine. Except for the mysteriously underpopulated hospital, everything looks very real.

The weak point is the treacly script, by Winslet's son with Sam Mendes. It has its moments, the dialogue is sharp, but the basic story is overflowing with cringingly mawkish cliches: a preternaturally wise and saintly black nurse (named Angel), gay love blossoming, character revelations that were obvious from the start, ancient sibling feuds ending with improbable hugs, two interracial couples, even a cute Down syndrome child to pluck at the heartstrings.

At first it was all rather touching -- Christmas, deathbed, family ties -- but by the halfway point I couldn't wait for it to end.