Death of a Superhero

Rang true to teenage life in Ireland. Impressive acting. Walks the line between touching and funny.

A year ago I wrote a review about Matching Jack, an Ausralian film about almost the same sort of story. I complained then that despite of the superb acting, the story itself followed every cliché in the book. Well this one is more or less writing the textbook of how to do it right. It doesn't avoid any of the unavoidable melodrama of such a story but it does it without ever letting it spill over. The acting is superb in this one too, but the story makes you feel like you're viewing real people and not a movie about real people, and in this case it works for the film. It's nice to see Andy Serkis for real this time - he does a wonderful job even when not hidden behind fancy CG. Also excelling are the two young leads Thomas Brodie Sangster and Aisling Loftus. There's something in this sort of story that brings out the best from actors. In such a movie if they didn't do it properly it would've turned the film downright unwatchable.

"Life is a sexually transmitted disease, transmitted by those who have sex and in the end it kills you" What a beautiful film, what a sad film, with this title there is no point in waiting for better days, we are already sure of the end, but it still makes us suffer and brings painful tears from us and a heavy heart, what a cursed disease, what a funeral poem in the form of a film, perfect soundtrack, masterful performance by little Thomas... The only absolute fact of existence, death is the only certainty of life...

Donald is a teenager with a fertile imagination and an extraordinary talent for drawing. At 15 years old, with a terminal illness, he fights against time, as he wants to have other experiences in life. Surrounded by the attention of his parents and friends, he finds Shelley, who gives him a delicate and sensual affection, and Adrian, a very special therapist who helps to balance his emotions. To deal with reality and confront his destiny, Donald draws stories that gain movement, such as that of a superhero who fights a powerful enemy who wants to destroy him.

In "Death of a Superhero", Donald (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) wants to be a superhero when he grows up. That's not going to happen because Donald is dying of cancer. He's trying to balance his survival/mortality rate with his coming-of-age interest in girls and sex. It's a drama about cancer, comic books, superheros, thanatologists, and teenage boys. It's an interesting mix which results in an odd, quiet, and unfortunately uninteresting film.

On paper it can be compared to "50/50" (2011) but it has a completely different tone and feel which makes it less palpable. It's like "Kick-Ass" (2010) but with less action, more comic book drawings, and less humour. And I mean that as a good thing. I think. This is a very slow-moving film about a depressed teenager who draws out his superhero and superheroine fantasies. I think it would have been easier to take if he really did fall or jump off the bridge that he teetered on the edge of. It started getting more entertaining when he met a girl and she elevated his graffiti to revealing heights. But, as it has a tendency of doing, cancer slowed that down.

Remember the cute and only slightly annoying kid from "Love Actually" (2003) and then remember the knowing laugh of amusement when he appeared as a young Paul McCartney in "Nowhere Boy" (2009)? This is your chance to see him in a very impressive dramatic role. The other stand-out was Andy Serkis as the thanatologist hired by Donald's parents to help him and themselves deal with his impending death. For all intents and purposes, let's call him a therapist. It's the usual character which all of these types of movies have, but there was something more here which I can't quite put my finger on which grabs your attention and then makes you bookmark his IMDb page.

The drawings were insanely impressive; unfortunately, I'm not one for comic book stylings. "Death of a Superhero" is certainly a good film that I appreciated, but I can't say I liked it.

As you follow the last weeks of a teenager who escapes in his drawing skills, we get to experience parts of what it feels like trying to outrace Death, while having a last good moments with family and friends... and maybe have a go at this thing called Love if we can spare a heartbeat or two.