Colin Firth, Stanley Tucci in the film “Supernova.”
On the surface, “Supernova” appears to be prime Oscar bait. Two of the world’s best actors (Stanley Tucci, Colin Firth) plus a dreaded disease (dementia) equals probable Academy Awards attention. (See also the similarly themed “The Father,” with Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman.)
Well, “Supernova” is Oscar bait but deservedly so. It’s a delicate, beautifully understated dance of emotions that is so much more than just watching someone in terminal decline. It’s also a celebration of a life well lived on its own terms.
Sam (Firth) and Tusker (Tucci) have been a couple for a long time, so much so they know what the other is thinking and feeling without having to say a word. They live what appears to be a cozy, privileged life in England — Sam’s a pianist who doesn’t perform much anymore, Tusker is a writer and amateur astronomer (hence the movie’s title) — but, if in every life some rain must fall, they’re in the midst of a storm.
Tusker has been diagnosed with dementia, and its effects are just beginning to impact his life. He doesn’t have it within himself to write anymore — one of the more quietly devastating scenes involves Sam discovering Tusker’s notebook — and both of them are coming to terms with what it all means and what horrors the future holds.
They set off on an RV road trip across England, ostensibly to get to a concert where Sam will be performing as well as to take a side trip to see Sam’s sister. But it’s really for them to spend time together and enjoy each other before the worst sets in. (It’s also an opportunity for Mike Leigh’s cinematographer, Dick Pope, to lovingly show off the British countryside.)
In lesser hands, “Supernova” could have been a treacly, weepy mess of a road movie. But actor-turned-director Harry Macqueen (“Hinterland”), who also wrote the script, doesn’t overplay his hand. Firth and Tucci — alternately dealing with grief, rage and despair — are subtle without being withholding. The chemistry between the actors, who are on screen together for much of the film, is palpable. It’s easy to believe them as men on the precipice of a major life change, even though “Supernova” never lets them get loud and showy.
Still, “Supernova” cuts deep, engendering the expected sadness but also a sense of melancholic triumph. And that’s as good as any award.