'Good Grief': Dan Levy's feature film directorial debut is filled with beauty, honesty and courage
Not only can Levy make us laugh until our stomachs hurt, he can craft heart-wrenching scenes that stick with us, too
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While grief can be an incredibly difficult thing to translate on screen, Dan Levy's movie Good Grief is a beautiful exploration of complicated feelings of loss, while also reflecting the real intricacies of adult friendships.
Good Grief release date: In select theatres Dec. 29, on Netflix Jan. 5
Director: Dan Levy
Writer: Dan Levy
Cast: Dan Levy, Ruth Negga, Himesh Patel, Luke Evans, Arnaud Valois, Celia Imrie, David Bradley
Runtime: 100 minutes
What is 'Good Grief' about?
Good Grief introduces us to Levy's character, artist Marc, and his husband Oliver (Luke Evans) at their holiday party, attended by a group of their friends, which includes Sophie (Ruth Negga) and Thomas (Himesh Patel).
The fun comes to a halt when Oliver leaves the party to catch a flight, and dies unexpectedly.
Marc is left to process his feelings of grief after Oliver's death, which came shortly after the death of Marc's mother. He is hanging on to the support of his friends Sophie and Thomas as he tries to go through life after loss, with Marc trying navigating what the "proper" way to grieve looks like.
Things take another turn when Marc discovers that Oliver wasn't completely honest in their relationship, which leads Marc to Paris, bringing Sophie and Thomas along, though he doesn't tell them exactly why he's taking them to stay at an apartment in the French capital.
As Marc tries to uncover more about the life Oliver didn't tell him about, his friendship with Sophie and Thomas goes through its own evolution, as Marc also meets a prospective love interest, Theo (Arnaud Valois).
Dan Levy leads 'Good Grief' story with honesty and courage
While much of the world fell in love with Levy in the comedy series Schitt's Creek (if you're Canadian it might have been when he was the host of MTV's The After Show), Good Grief exemplifies Levy's range as a storyteller.
Not only can he make us laugh until our stomachs hurt, he can craft heart-wrenching, honest and raw scenes that stick with us mentally and emotionally, too.
Levy also accomplished something that many have likely been dying to see. He takes the characters of a protagonist's friends, which are often relegated to secondary storylines, or just used for a punch line, and brings them to the forefront of the story with their own personal exploration and arc.
That being said, the inclusion of Theo in the story does feel particularly lacking in the character's integration into the story.
While many films lean into the concept that it's OK for a character and their friends to be messy, to not be perfect, to make mistakes, Levy has the courage to depict the moment when a friend says, it's time for you start to get your sh-t together. That's specifically done through the character of Thomas. Frankly, it's more realistic than many of the friendships we've seen on screen.
Negga's Sophie is absolutely electric on screen, a bundle of energy that often provides that essential light in moments of sorrow, and Thomas' more composed, caring and honest nature makes them the perfect pairing. Not to mention, Sophie, Thomas and Marc still seem to have so much fun, bouncing around London and Paris together.
In terms of Levy's performance, the moment when Marc discovers Oliver has died will cut you to your core, even though you're well aware it's going to happen. The actor navigates Marc's range of emotions, from sadness to anger, to that great Levy sarcasm we all love, with nuance and grace.
Along with the performances is exceptional production design from Alice Normington. With much of the film taking place in people's homes and living spaces, these settings look meticulously crafted to feel as lived in and they should be for the story. It may sound obvious, but it's a level of detail that's not always achieved.
Additionally, Rob Simonsen's score gives every scene momentum and dimension.
Whether you're a fan of Levy's previous work, or not, Good Grief is the emotional rollercoaster you want to be on to start the new year.
