Tumbledown

Understated, honest and soulfully choreographed. The cast is engaging, authentic and surprisingly interesting even in the most ordinary situations, of which there are few. Grief may be the premise of this film, but the result is a calm escape into a world you'll be happy to spend some time in.

After reading about the film, I did expect an Indie movie with the usual predictable story lines and romantic frou frou, and there is no shortage of that, but there is another layer of depth that caught me off guard. The intimate warmth of the soundtrack, like the weightless smoke of a dying candle in a quiet room, lingers long after the end credits are over. Some of the songs really are beautiful enough to warrant this type of language, trust me. So do the memories of other musicians who left behind their timeless creations along with the shock and mystery of a lifetime cut short. Martyn Bennett and Jeff Buckley, however different the circumstances of their departure, come to mind.

Whenever an Indie movie finds the perfect balance between lighthearted, mainstream entertainment and the relatability of a smaller story and budget, it proofs that a solid Indie production can transcend the restrictions of a genre and touch the audience beyond 90 minutes of entertainment.

I couldn't think of a single studio produced movie in recent months that achieved 'Tumbledown's subtlety and depth with the same simplicity and grace. To proof my point, this movie would work even without the romance and succeed as a relevant reflection on grief and the responsibility of moving on.

I was pleasantly and unexpectedly surprised by this movie. I found it a realistic portrayal of how hard it is to let go of the memory of deep love that is now gone and learning how to move on and sometimes failing and falling down, until suddenly you wake up and life unexpectedly opens up to something new and wonderful. I am surprised by the negative reviews. It is not a romantic comedy or a typical slick, fast paced Hollywood film. But it works as a touching, authentic slice of a life, portraying what loss really looks like and the beauty of love. The music was also really fantastic. A touching little gem.

Tumbledown is that kind of movie which makes you feel "Oh! It's good. But it should have been better". You'd almost feel sorry for the entire cast because they have given such exceptional performances only to be let down by clichéd writing towards the end. But it still is a Dramedy worth watching.

Coming to the performances, there are absolutely no complaints here. I can safely say that Jason Sudeikis steals the show with his charm and timing. Rebecca Hall gives her best and suits for the role well. In fact we can watch the movie just for the leads' performances. The supporting cast does justice to their roles.

Verdict: Go for it!

'TUMBLEDOWN': Four Stars (Out of Five)

Indie rom-com/drama flick; starring Rebecca Hall and Jason Sudeikis. The film tells the story of a widow, still coping with the death of her folk singer husband, who must deal with a New York writer; that comes to her small town looking to write a story on him. The movie also costars Dianna Agron, Joe Manganiello, Griffin Dunne, Blythe Danner and Richard Masur. It was directed by first-time feature filmmaker Sean Mewshaw, and written by Mewshaw and Desi and Desiree Van Til (both first-time screenwriters). I enjoyed it.

Hannah Miles (Hall) is still grieving over the death of her husband; a folk singer, who was somewhat of a celebrity in her rural Maine town. Her family, and friends, all think she needs to get over him and move on. That troubled healing is further aggravated, when a New York writer, named Andrew McCabe (Sudeikis), comes to town investigating the beloved musician's death. He's writing a book on the singer, and Hannah doesn't like the idea of it (at all).

I'm becoming a bigger Jason Sudeikis fan, with every movie he does! He's always funny, and he always picks quality projects too; the roles, he plays, always seem like real and relatable people. This film is no exception. I also like how he does a lot of lower-budget indie flicks too. Hall is great in this movie as well. She's definitely not as funny, but her performance is topnotch; and the two have beautiful chemistry together. It's yet another indie hit win, for Jason Sudeikis!

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"You're the one obsessed with death. My Hunter was obsessed with life." Hannah (Hall) is trying to cope with the death of her husband, and popular singer. She spends her life living in the past and trying everything to keep his memory alive. When Andrew (Sudeikis) shows up wanting to write a book about him he is met with resistance from Hannah. Little by little the more they talk they more they realize they both have something that will help the other one. This is a very good movie that is worth watching, but it also a tad bit generic and cookie cutter like. Most romantic comedies are though so going in I expected that. Sudeikis is great and funny as always, even though this is more serious than we are used to from him. In terms of romantic movies this is one that men will like, maybe more than women. Overall, a movie that I did like but was almost a little too cookie cutter like to be considered original. I give this a B-.