The Parting Glass

Didn't know what to expect from this highly personal expression of grief and family introspection but certainly got more than expected from a terrific cast. Everyone delivers career confirming performances amid thoughtful situations - the like of which many viewers may or will, at some stage experience in one form or other. Veteran Ed Asner proves he's still remarkably good as the patriarchal father. Uniquely talented composer Nathan Barr underscores the personal drama - with a highly emotive music score capturing each nuance as we follow these searching souls - each wanting to take solace in any glimmer of hope they find, even if it's based on supposition. A couple of well placed songs add emotional power without being obvious.

Popular English actor and recovered alcoholic Stephen Moyer, is here, first-time director/producer. Moyer also directs his multi-nominated wife Anna Paquin (Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee '07) and works well with award-winning cinematographer Guy Godfrey (Maudie '17). As independent features go this stands out for loving dedication to the human experience. Sensitive audiences will recognise the effort involved and follow these believable characters to the highly effective finale.

Star, Dennis O'Hare's personal and honest script runs warm and pensive with just the right amount of well placed humour. It seems like a sequence may have ended up on the cutting room floor, leaving a minor under-explained situation involving a late introduced family member but this does not overly hurt this thoughtful family journey. Recommended for lovers of movies offering examinations of real-life interactions - this fine work is not overly well known but deserves to be.

This film was a delight. As the trip progresses the family learn more about each other and about the impact their deceased sister had on them, and they on her. They open up old jokes and old rifts between them. They have parties and panic attacks. The father is a big character, set apart from his children by a generation. We see how they spent their final moments with their sister, and how they learn more about her demise. I've said enough, just go watch the film. My only critisism is that it should have been half an hour longer.

This film started very slowly with numerous stops for coffee or tea and jostling for positions in a car convoy. Many shots inside of vehicle and concentrating on conversations. This script would be more suited to a play than a movie. The family group appeared disorganized which was frustrating to watch. Story didn't seem to be going anywhere fast.

I always maintain that one has no right to rate or to comment here unless one watches all the way from beginning to the end credits. This means that I've watched an awful lot of truly crap movies all the way to the end and this one joins that group.

90 minutes here of fractious, annoying, noisy, shouty, aggravating and boring people gathered in one place for the fallout from the death of a sister.

The idea might have been good but the final product was, for me, a complete waste of time but, thankfully, only two dollars.

This is a movie not for laying down and keeping but rather for laying down and avoiding.

JMV

This was slow going and well, not great even with the cast attached. Story follows three siblings, their dad and an ex-husband who travel across the country to collect the youngest sisters belongings after her death. Along the road trip they stop frequently for coffee and tea, bicker over car convoy position or who is riding with who, they cry, they laugh they have panic attacks as they share their memories and last moments of the family they have just lost. The viewer gets the occasional flashback to Annan Paquin the deceased sister.

This is raw at times, its interesting how everybody deals with grief differently. Some characters are really vague or underutilized (Melissa Leo) others stood out Ed Asner is powerful and Denis O'Hare is fantastic. I also liked an American speaking Rhys Ifans as the husband. Other family members included Paul Gross and Cynthia Nixon. Hummm Stephen Moyer directed.