Review of the latest releases
SUPERNOVA (15, 93 mins) Romance/Drama. Colin Firth, Stanley Tucci, Pippa Haywood, Peter MacQueen, Nina Marlin, James Dreyfus. Director: Harry Macqueen.
Taking its title from the blindingly bright explosion of a dying star, writer-director Harry Macqueen’s heartbreaking drama about living with dementia is unfortunately timed to twinkle shortly after The Father deservedly cast a spell at this year’s Oscars.
Supernova exists in the same narrative universe, juxtaposing the fear and confusion of a patient with the anguish of caring family members, but this gently paced road movie takes a more conventional approach to storytelling.
“I want to be remembered for who I was and not who I’m about to become,” pleads Stanley Tucci’s afflicted writer to his life partner, played with frayed nerves and a shattered heart by Colin Firth.
Their on-screen familiarity is delightfully believable from the opening shot of the couple entwined in bed, whether it be playful teasing about the shipping forecast on BBC Radio 4 or a more serious conversation about forgotten medicines.
“They remind me that I’m ill and I don’t want that, not right now,” contends Tucci’s wordsmith, who claims to be writing a final book while he still feels some semblance of control over his creativity.
The natural flow and ease of these early scenes contrasts with a fraught, tear-wringing final act overstuffed with dialogue which hits premeditated beats at the expense of sounding like a true cascade of emotions.
Out-of-practice concert pianist Sam (Firth) and his partner, American novelist Tusker (Tucci), have savoured every second together on this side of the Atlantic.
When Tusker is diagnosed with early onset dementia, the couple jump into a motorhome with their dog Ruby and embark on a ramshackle road trip to visit family, friends and important places from their relationship.
They initially squabble over the use of a satnav with a female voice that sounds discouragingly similar to Margaret Thatcher.
“First it’s Section 28, now she’s going to tell us where to go on our holiday?” quips Tusker, referring to a controversial 1988 clause (since repealed) to prohibit local authorities from promoting homosexuality.
After a worrying moment when Tusker walks off in a daze, the two men arrive safely at the home of Sam’s sister Lilly (Pippa Haywood), her husband Clive (Peter MacQueen) and their daughter Charlotte (Nina Marlin).
A surprise party seemingly lifts Tusker’s spirits but a candid conversation with Lilly exposes his deep-rooted fears.
“You’re still the guy (Sam) fell in love with,” she soothingly contends.
“No, I’m not,” laments Tusker, “I just look like him.” Supernova burns bright thanks to Firth and Tucci’s heartfelt performances, which lace their characters’ love story with palpable sorrow.
One uninterrupted close-up of Firth disgorging feelings as tears sporadically course down his cheeks is particularly memorable.
Cinematographer Dick Pope works tirelessly to capture the beauty of the central relationship and Lake Distinct scenery in dwindling light to give a sense of the darkness closing in.
DOGTANIAN AND THE THREE MUSKEHOUNDS (U, 84 mins) Animation/Adventure/Romance. Featuring the voices of Tomas Ayuso, Julio Perillan, Stephen Hughes, Robbie K Jones, Karina Matas Piper, Elisabeth Gray, Blair Holmes, Scott Cleverdon. Director: Toni Garcia.
I love the smell of nostalgia in the morning. The animated TV series Dogtanian And The Three Muskehounds is fondly embedded in my childhood memories of the early 1980s alongside Battle Of The Planets and Dungeons & Dragons.
The anthropomorphised adventures of an aspiring swordshound and his mouse sidekick put a fresh spin on Alexandre Dumas’ swashbuckling 19th-century novel The Three Musketeers.
It also tormented my parents with an infuriatingly catchy theme tune composed by Italian duo Guido and Maurizio De Angelis.
Those chirpy lyrics – “One for all and all for one, Muskehounds are always ready!” – are spared for the end credits of director Toni Garcia’s feature-length computer-animated revamp, accompanied by karaokestyle words on screen to inspire howling in the aisles.
In a loving nod to the past, soft-focus flashbacks in the film look suspiciously like excerpts from the TV series replete with expressive hand-drawn visuals.
Repeated blasts back to the 1980s underline the quintessential sweetness and rumbustious humour that is lacking in Garcia’s remake, based on a script by Doug Langdale that spruces up a plotline from the episode Daggers And Diamonds involving a stolen necklace, a beguiling masked thief and the looming threat of war between France and England.
In 1625, ambitious floppy-eared pooch Dogtanian (voiced by Tomas Ayuso) dreams of serving King Louis XIII (Julio Perillan) alongside valiant musketeers Aramis (Perillan again), Athos (Stephen Hughes) and Porthos (Hughes again).
The young mutt bids farewell to his father (Scott Cleverdon) and canters into Paris on the family’s neighsayer horse, Sandy, hoping to secure an audience with Monsieur de Treville (Robbie K Jones), leader of the musketeer corps.
Alas, spies of scheming Cardinal Richelieu (Hughes again) are everywhere and Monsieur de Treville cannot invite a young whelp like Dogtanian into the musketeer ranks without years of honourable service as proof of allegiance to the king.
A chance encounter with fair maiden Juliette (Karina Matas Piper) and thieving mouse Pip (Jones again) secures Dogtanian separate duels with Aramis, Athos and Porthos.
“You fight with skill, you fight with style. I’d rather fight a crocodile,” coos Aramis, who insists on speaking in rhyming couplets.
The foursome quickly put aside their differences when Richelieu’s spy Milady de Winter (Elisabeth Gray) steals a necklace belonging to Queen Anne (Piper again).
Dogtanian And The Three Muskehounds bounds along pleasantly for 84 minutes.
Pristine visuals honour character designs from almost 40 years ago but lack some of the rough and ready charm of bygone days.
Vocal performances feel muted compared with the small screen predecessor and the most colourful role in the French court, his eminence Cardinal Richelieu, lacks an air of lip-smacking boo-hiss villainy to pose a serious threat to the heroic canine quartet.
FATIMA (12A, 113 mins)
Based on the true story of three children in early 20th-century Portugal, who claimed they were visited by an apparition of the Virgin Mary, director Marco Pontecorvo’s drama assesses the controversial episode in flashback.
Professor Nichols (Harvey Keitel) interviews Sister Lucia (Sonia Braga) about the visitation in a Carmelite convent in Coimbra, determined to interrogate and contest her version of events.
She recalls her childhood in 1917 when young Lucia (now played by Stephanie Gil) and cousins Francisco (Jorge Lamelas) and Jacinta (Alejandra Howard) were instructed to dedicate themselves to their faith by a heavenly vision (Joana Ribeiro).
As news of the children’s story spreads, inspiring pilgrimages to the town of Fatima, local priest Father Ferreira (Joaquim de Almeida) seeks guidance from the upper echelons of the Catholic Church.
SWEAT (15, 106 mins)
The perils of social media and celebrity are abundantly and painfully clear in Swedish writerdirector Magnus von Horn’s cautionary tale set in Poland.
Fitness-obsessed social media star and influencer Sylwie (Magdalena Kolesnik) boasts more than half a million followers on Instagram.
In real life, she finesses workouts with her fitness partner Klaudiusz (Julian Swiezewski), hoping that her passion for exercise might earn her a coveted invitation to perform on breakfast television.
Despite a burgeoning profile, Sylwie cannot attract a male partner and she lets her fans glimpse her vulnerability on various social channels.
As she chases more followers, Sylwie experiences loneliness in the spotlight and she contemplates making sacrifices to address the imbalance in her personal life.