A Minha Vida com John F. Donovan

I had been wanted to watch this and then read the reviews and thought I wouldn't bother. I only ended up putting this movie on as I'd seen everything else and couldn't sleep. Did I watch the same movie as the people who hated it? I understand each to their own but for me the acting was great and the story would have resonated with so many different people on many levels. A rare script to have so many great actors in it so they obviously saw the wow factor.

If you think the movie failed you probably didn't understand the true meaning. It is a movie about soul searching and life with depression. It is about how life with depression requires you to wear a mask because of the expectations of those around you, it's about the lack of intimacy and being truly and personally open with others even those closest to you, it's about trying to live your life based on what you think others expect of you and think you deserve. It is a movie about finding one person who you can truly talk to because you connect and you feel they don't judge you. It's a movie about life and figuring out how to let yourself be happy. Beautifully done movie with great depth yet only some will truly understand it on a personal level.

'The Death & Life of John F. Donovan' is a mess - even if it's an intriguing one. The English-language debut of Canadian director Xavier Dolan ambitiously tackles themes of fame, privacy, sexuality, growing up, and, of course, mothers and sons but never really digs too deep beneath the surface of the very complicated issues it takes on. And from Green Day's 'Jesus of Suburbia' to Florence + The Machine's 'Stand by Me' and Lifehouse's 'Hanging by a Moment,' Dolan is at his worst when he allows his cringe-worthy choice of music to substitute for a deeper effort to underline his characters' emotional states. Still, at the very least, 'The Death & Life of John F. Donovan' is never boring with the big brassy performances from the movie's generally strong casts.

This movie takes place mostly over two main timelines. In 2017, Rupert Turner (Ben Schnetzer) has written a book about his correspondent letters with late actor John F. Donovan (Kit Harington) and journalist Audrey Newhouse (Thandiwe Newton) is interviewing him. During the mid-2000's, John is closeted star with a hit show. Sam Turner (Natalie Portman) is raising her son Rupert Turner (Jacob Tremblay) in England. Grace Donovan (Susan Sarandon) is John's mother and Barbara Haggermaker (Kathy Bates) is his manager.

This seems to have one layer too many. I don't think the present-day shell is necessary. The story is already bifurcated into Rupert's story and John's story. It takes an hour before the story gets to the point. It needs to get there a bit faster. Dropping the present day story would help a lot. The scandal unfolds wrong. The aftermath of the assault needs to have more space instead of just a comment. Haggermaker would not handle it in that way if she knows anything about public relations. The movie reaches a high level with the stolen letters and couldn't maintain it.

This film tells quite a complex story about a man who recalls his correspondence with an actor when he was a child. The story is mostly about the actor, and it's quite sad. The number of famous faces is pretty amazing as well. It can do with a quicker pace, but overall it's ok to watch.