Blackbird - L'ultimo abbraccio

In 1981,in "whose life is it anyway? " ,Richard Dreyfuss ,paralysed after a car crash ,asked for the right to die :as he was in a hospital ,it was not easy .

In Europa, some movies about assisted suicide were made in France ("quelques heures de Printemps" )and in Germany (und Morgen Mittag ,bin ich tot" ) but as it is illegal in both countries, death takes place in Switzerland .

It's easier,so to speak ,for Lily whose husband is a doctor ;she wants to die in dignity and not surrounded by machines ; Susan Sarandon is,as always ,admirable ,and she gets strong support from Sam Neill as her devoted husband .The film is a strong plea for a legitimate choice when there' s only more sufferings in sight ,and who can say he's not concerned with such a harrowing problem?

Kate Winslet and Mia Wasikowska ,on the other hand, are given badly written parts ,the umpteenth version of the sisters at odds with each other, the earnest patronizing one and the unhappy person .And one regrets that there are not more intimate scenes between Lily and Paul ;the very brief scene where he cries in the greenhouse means more to me than the sisters' moanings and whinings .Melodrama often gets in the way of a real tragedy.

But the young generation (good scene of the rapper) and sensitive Lindsay Duncan's Liz make up for it .

Anyway ,it's a courageous movie , which people (with a strong heart) must see.

A really movieg film. Some could blame it to be too much "into your face" but it still moved me to the core as it Made me asking how I would handle a situation like that and the more you think about it the more it depresses you. But in a good way as the film's story really challenges you with morality and along with that tells a great story about love and family bonding. The acting is superb. Susan Sarandon finally gets to show in a great huge role again and she really nails it. She adds a lot of sarcasm to it which helps the make her character appealing and convincing, especially considering the struggle she has inside her. Kate Winslet is very calm here and leaves the field for Sarandon. Winslet has some really good moments and built her character well. Mia Wasikowska has the juicier role and is good, too. I loved Sam Neill whose characters tries everything to make the atmosphere positive and hold everything together. Good support by Lindsay Duncan as well. A very intimate film by Roger Michell and a film that deserves much more attention than it received. Yes, it leaves you depressed. And yes it leaves you with a lot of questions but important ones. Really moving and well acted ensemble piece.

Perhaps it's because I just walked this journey... twice in the last 3 years, but I find this to be VERY true to life at telling how family systems relate internally to death and dying. I could see the personalities of each individual, feel their truths as their pain was revealed. This is a funny movie, a movie that will piss you off; it will warm your heart, surprise you and finally, it will make you cry and smile. It's DEFINITELY worth seeing, and with someone you love, and alone, and then again.

I like to respect opinions, but for the past years, I've seen a lot of "purists" rating a movie with 1,2,3 stars just because "the original" was better... Sometimes it's a justified oppinion, (The Grudge, for example) but this is starting to be a trend, not an exception.

Personal opinion, for the ones who care: it's a good movie, a somewhat fresh subject and good for spending a Saturday night in front of the TV, wondering what would you do if you where in anyone of the character's shoes.

Cliché? Yes. American take? Yes. Enjoyable? Of course! Let's be honest... How many times did a Shakespeare play (original or adapted) had an opening night? In that case, would you go to the theatre? Yes? No?... Just curious 😏

This film is really really powerful. I watched it for the stellar cast, not knowing what it was about. I was already in tears half way through the film. It is very well made as well.