Goodbye June

The best thing in the movie is Timothy Spall's scarily convincing portrayal of the semi-senile father. He's not entirely demented, at least not all the time -- he has moments of affability and affection for his wife and kids -- but he's mostly just a tiresome burden who's lost in his own world.

As you'd expect (and as all the critics agree), everyone in the cast is marvelous, and Winslet's directorial debut is perfectly fine. Except for the mysteriously underpopulated hospital, everything looks very real.

The weak point is the treacly script, by Winslet's son with Sam Mendes. It has its moments, the dialogue is sharp, but the basic story is overflowing with cringingly mawkish cliches: a preternaturally wise and saintly black nurse (named Angel), gay love blossoming, character revelations that were obvious from the start, ancient sibling feuds ending with improbable hugs, two interracial couples, even a cute Down syndrome child to pluck at the heartstrings.

At first it was all rather touching -- Christmas, deathbed, family ties -- but by the halfway point I couldn't wait for it to end.

Exceptional performances of very relatable characters. It's a beautiful depiction of the relentless quest of a mother to unite her family! Laughter and tears will flow, but thankfully in equal enough measure not to be exhausting. This is not the sort of film that will keep you guessing, but neither is it a cliché, rather it delivers a well balanced emotional reality. Highly recommend.

Well done to Kate Winslet on a strong directorial debut. And of course her acting was just right, restrained and yet as always, generous, so that you connect with the character. Really good performances from a stellar cast. And how Kate Winslet directed those kids was a feat in itself. I think the script was ok, I had a flashback of Finding Neverland where the children put on a show for the terminally ill character played by Winslet. None- the-less there are so many terrible xmas movies around that this was worth watching. I look forward to seeing more of Winslet'a directing. PS the editing was really good - a snotty journalist likened the film to an extended John Lewis advert - well, their editing is impeccable too.

Calling Goodbye June "contrived" or reducing the film to a 'two-hour John Lewis ad' isn't insight; it's a refusal to engage, dressed up as wit. Films like this are not trying to outsmart the audience; they are trying to sit with people at their most exposed. For families navigating terminal illness, loss and grief, familiarity isn't a failure of imagination but a form of care. Hope and emotional legibility are easy to sneer at from a critical distance, much harder to dismiss when you recognise them as the small, steady beams of light people cling to when real life offers very few.

I've been waiting for the release and finally this movie is here. It's not an Oscar worthy movie and what I love the most that it's not trying to be one. I'm absolutely sure that this movie has it's audience because it portrays very well how a family should say a sweet goodbye to one of it's members. It reminds me of the Netflix's movie "His Three Daughters" (2024) which is also a low budget film which is filled with complicated family dynamics. "Goodbye June" is more complex and has more to offer. I'm very glad that Kate Winslet got a chance to work with Toni Collette (I remember her saying wanting to work with her). Except for being a cast member Kate is also a producer and the director of this movie. Also worth mentioning that her son Joe Anders is the writer, he's 22, imagine that! With that being said I can say that the script is good, the acting is great and the overall experience left a positive impression.