A good directorial debut about love and loss.
Dan Levy has made a name for himself in the entertainment world beginning with his and his father Eugene Levy’s collaboration on the show “Schitt’s Creek.” His directorial debut of “Good Grief,” which is set to premiere on Netflix, doesn’t exceed that show in terms of its screenplay, but it still allows the actor to broaden his horizons.
Thinking back at this movie, I’d like to imagine if he wants to enter Woody Allen territory with how he presents his co-stars and their characters, who all share their own pathos. I’m not sure the old man would approve of the soundtrack, but I still think hits from Bonnie Raitt, Billy Idol, and Robyn help bring about the ambiance of the film, especially in the dramedy genre. And I also think that Levy could be on to someone in the nostalgic sense, especially by his acting abilities and mannerisms. Maybe he could reflect his personality in his future characters. Maybe he could introduce them to his world.
“Good Grief” is a good start.
Set in England, the American gay artist Marc (Levy) loses his celebrated screenwriter husband Thomas (Luke Evans) and his mother, thus leaving himself in tremendous grief. His best friends are Sophie (Ruth Negga), who lost her job, and Thomas (Himesh Patel), who is also a would be gallery owner. And both of them have respective relationship troubles. When Marc finds out from his lawyer (Celie Imrie) that his deceased husband has a house in Paris, which he may have shared with another person, he decides to invite his friends for a weekend there, also to thank them for helping him get through this difficult year.
Marc has a romance with the Frenchman Theo (Arnaud Valois), who tells him he still has a lot to offer in life, while confronting Luca (Mehdi Baki), the man who was involved with Oliver. Of course, we get the obligatory crossroad when the friends find out why he really brought them to the City of Light, but at least it isn’t handled in the irritable way. The way Michelle Monaghan has displayed against Mark Wahlberg when she found out about his character’s true identity in “The Family Plan.” I’ll take this pathos over that any day.
Levy is this movie. He’s the one who carries “Good Grief” with how he balances his work on both sides of the equation. He chooses to be funny when he wants to be, and he chooses to be emotional when he’s sincere about it. Losing someone is difficult, and he displays it on a low-key pace. We don’t see him a drunken mess; instead, we acknowledge that he needs his baby steps in moving on, while trying to figure out what his husband was doing with Luca. At least whatever happens, the movie isn’t mean-spirited about it.
There should have been more development within the two best friends and their own troubles, as it seems all cut-and-paste and a little unfocused. But on the bright side, Negga and Patel both do solid work trying to keep their characters in check.
“Good Grief” won’t top “Schitt’s Creek,” but fans of that show will, at least, appreciate how Levy is stepping up his game as an actor. It’s a good movie that represents love and loss, and we’ll definitely keep seeing this subject matter over and over again. It really depends on how the film chooses to express them, and here, it displays them with the right emotions.
Streaming on Netflix Tomorrow