Tammy's Always Dying

"Tammy's Always Dying" was an emotional rollercoaster you don't want to get off of. It shows how a dysfunctional mother-daughter relationship can go from nurturing...to chaotic...to frustrating...to sympathetic...to resentful...and back to nurturing all in a short period of time. It's a reminder that family can be frustrating; that addiction can cause havoc; that mental health is one of the toughest enemies we face; but that there is still human connection underneath it all.

Heart-Wrenchingly Powerful, Beautifully Written, Wonderful Acting. Amy Jo Johnson's work delivers a masterclass in how to tackle a tough and sensitive subject.

This film is deeply moving and also very thought provoking. Be prepared to have a box of tissues to hand but also to be pleasantly surprised at the tone of this seemingly otherwise dark movie, which punctures the gloominess of the subject at the centre of the story, with bright and clever dialogue that will make you smile in the right places. Oh boy do you need those moments in this story.

Be in no doubt that this is not a story with a traditional happy ending which deep down part of me would have loved to have seen, but I fully understand why the film concludes in the way that it has, with Writer and Director choosing instead to travel down a road of truthful gritty realism that is refreshing if unsettlingly harrowing. Despite the melancholy mood that dominates, there are many moments of comedy and touching scenes that are perfectly weighted without detracting from the ability of the story to sensitively address what I am sure is such a serious subject that will touch a nerve so close to home for some of the audience. So be aware, as most TV shows will say, viewers will find some of the scenes distressing.

The story itself centres around the relationship between a mother (Tammy) and her daughter (Catherine). The effects of what must be decades of alcohol dependency together with tobacco addiction are alarmingly laid bare and the sense of torment evident in both Tammy and Cathrine is powerfully raw. Just as you think things can't get any worse for them, the cruel hand that has been dealt to Tammy and Catherine takes a darker twist when Tammy is diagnosed with terminal cancer and is given six to ten months to live. You would have to have the brain of a Dalek and the cold heart of a Cyberman to not be deeply moved by their respective predicaments.

Despite all of Tammy's self-destructive tendencies that push paternal mother-daughter bonds to beyond the limit, Catherine clearly feels compelled to try and save Tammy from a most terrible demise. Somewhere deep inside that withered shell of the broken woman Tammy has become, Cathy is desperate to find the sort of mother that every child needs or craves.

The writer of the story has chosen a subject that many more experienced Directors might choose to shy away from. Amy Jo Johnson is brave to dive in at the deep end so early in her directing career and that is to be admired. The strength of the narrative is anchored by performances from a cast whom, in my opinion are a dream team for this kind of film. The chemistry between the actors and the characters they portray is delightful and makes for compelling viewing.

I thoroughly enjoyed this film and I can't wait to see what this rising star of a Director has in store for her next project.

The second film directed by Amy Jo Johnson certainly was an enjoyable experience. The film tackles a very serious subject of addiction, suicide and death through illness. The Canada scenery was beautiful and the way things looked were fantastic. I certainly can feel for the character of Catherine as she is the main protagonist trying not have a breakdown dealing with her mother, Tammy.

While I enjoyed the film, Drama is not usually my genre of choice so the pacing of the film felt slow to me at times. Having watched the film through a screener link where I couldn't maximize the window or remove the time bar so I didn't feel like I was watching the runtime tick down, watching some of the scenes where there was no interaction or dialogue made me feeling like the film was longer than the 90 minutes advertised.

Besides the pacing (in my opinion because I am more used to action, thriller and horror genres), I did enjoy the blend of humor with the serious subject matter as well as the casting choices of Felicity Huffman and Anastasia Phillips as the mother/daughter duo.

I look forward to seeing it again through iTunes and hopefully get it to change my rating to a 10 just because I do find Amy Jo to be a fantastic director.

Whoa, has Felicity Huffman ever let herself go!

With a mat of hair and raccoon mascara, Tammy boozes away her welfare check, then concludes her month binge with a wobbly climb to perch atop a precarious bridge, waiting for some form of salvation. Her daughter plays along with the routine, but this ain't no family love in.

Catherine has her own issues, and her crazy mother may or may not be the root cause. Irregardless, they coexist, sparring and pushing buttons as only direct kin can. The dynamic may be old hat, but it is balanced with a good balance of guilt, compassion, fury and a sneaky bite of dark comedy. Tammy's abusive train wreck act is hard to stomach, making Catherine's willingness to play the snappy Saint a bit puzzling. But there they are, stuck in their perfectly orchestrated ruts.

Huffman is particularly enjoyable as a totally despicable character, with just enough glimpses of joy and insight sprinkled amongst her destructive ways to offer some kind of hope. There's a human in there, somewhere.

"Tammy's Always Dying" is filmed under the omnipresent grey skies of former steel town Hamilton, a rubbly city oh so close to the flashy big time (Toronto) that cleverly mirrors its occupants. Life is hard, and even though there's something on the horizon, it may be unreachable. The second act plays with that rainbow goal dynamic, but muddies the pace, only to have it saved by film's end. The complicated mother - daughter relationship is the heart of the movie, and its ultimate redemption.

• hipCRANK

Tammy's got a serious drinking problem which leads to her frequently going to the same bridge and threatening to jump off. Her daughter is always having to find her and literally talk her down. This one is a good movie which shows the difficulty of the daughter's life; her having to deal with her mother, having sex with a guy (who we find out is having her as a side girl to the mother of his children) and in between, trying to pretend she is someone else or somewhere else. I would recommend this if you are a fan of I, Tonya because it is a very similar style of comedy but this is more dramatic than that. Give it a shot!