Good Grief (2023)
In life, grief is possibly one of the most miserable parts of the human experience. Grief doesn't simply come and go, it roots itself deep and lingers, fighting attempts to minimize or ignore its continued impact. Not just an emotional poison but also one with very real physical effects, grief demands to be felt and only lets go when the emotion itself is ready, no matter how damaging its presence ends up being. Naturally, the question that is asked is how one moves on from grief. What agency can one have to move on, to leave the toxin in the past. Streaming on Netflix, Dan Levy's directorial debut, Good Grief, examines this question through the lens of a man named Marc, who is played by Levy himself. A year removed from the tragic death of his husband, Marc still is under the spell of grief when he learns that his late husband had met someone else and had a flat in Paris where they would meet. Wanting to see the place and understand the last piece of Marc left to digest in an attempt to say goodbye, Marc invites his friends, Sophie (Ruth Negga) and Thomas (Himesh Patel), on a trip to Paris under the excuse of them deserving a trip together after all they had been through.
What hits first is the brisk and quiet nature of the film which holds itself like a cool and calm morning. The world that is shot by cinematographer Ole Bratt Birkeland, possibly best known for his work in Bart Layton's American Animals, paints a cold and often diluted winter world that is emotionally juxtaposed by the warmth of human spirit and connection. The dark streets of Paris are lit up not only by the Eiffel Tower, but also by these friends sharing laughs and stories of their best moments. The world finds a deeper meaning of color with a loving kiss and a gentle hug. Good Grief is a film about humans, about the power of humans and the complexity of what can happen inside a body of flesh where desire and longing lay hungry. This sense of acknowledging and valuing the power within the souls and hearts of individuals is perfectly highlighted by this filmmaking style and the visual design of the feature.
Of course, grief is hardly a new topic for cinema. Grief has been examined and chewed on since the very start of narrative features with seemingly every angle of the topic being poked at within some film. It is Good Grief's maturity and focus that helps set itself apart. The film is incredibly natural and honest with how it paints these characters and what they are going for. Their relationships and histories feel complex and lived with their dialogue, from the script also by Levy, giving them the space to reflect and digest what is happening.
Good Grief is not a film with easy answers. The feature doesn't claim a single sentence or answer can solve the question of heartbreak and anger. Even between the three living friends, pain is found and characters have meaningful dialogue where they tackle what is brooding inside of them and land on solutions not always that simple or fulfilling. For anyone wanting a simple romantic drama where everything ends simple and happy in the way the genre often decides, Good Grief will offer something more challenging that feels closer to the reality of life.
The biggest question tackled within the film is a question of when it is time to move on. When one experiences pain or sorrow, the natural response is to do whatever it takes to move on from what is being felt. It feels right to try and end the suffering put on one's body and find an emotional homeostasis. Good Grief challenges this notion and expresses a larger perspective of the importance of finding authentic closure and letting yourself truly work through what they are facing rather than run away from the pain. As said perfectly in one of the best films of all time, "to feel nothing so as not to feel anything, what a waste".
While this seems like a meaningful yet overall standard expression for a film such as this, Good Grief pushes even further within the discussion of moving on. As one grows up, one has to also learn to move on from the good days of yesterday to open themselves up to the brighter futures of tomorrow. One has to understand and be open to the ever-evolving nature of life and humans. Without giving a simple answer, Good Grief asks the audience to engage with these ideas and answer the question of when it is time to move on for themselves. This next step up in thesis is a remarkably moving elevation for the feature that sees Levy expand and prove an ambitious voice for digesting the human experience in a way that feels quite remarkable.
This conversation, to be clear, is not just a theoretical one but also takes place with practical steps within the film. Specifically, there is a focus given to artistic creation as a means of processing trauma and sadness that feels rather beautiful and ends the film on an emotionally rewarding final statement that carries a real weight. The film expresses how some of the most beautiful art is made in a house of sadness, offering a worthy reminder of the layers held within the emotion that can grow and mold into something beautiful with time and perspective.
Holding this conversation is not only the craft of the filmmaking and strength of the script, but also a fantastic ensemble with Levy, Negga, and Patel all offering something of worth. The chemistry found between these three feel incredibly genuine and each are given their own emotional complexities and identities to bring to life. Similar to reality, in a single scene this group can carry the emotion of a conversation from anger to comedy to grief in a way that always feels controlled and cautious. The film never lets one of these emotions overpower the other or fight to be heard, they each flow in and out naturally like the waves at a beach.
It is a true crime that Good Grief has been buried and thrown to the side the way it has. Given a microscopic 2023 theatrical release to qualify for awards without any sense of a campaign, Netflix doesn't have the film listed on its FYC website, the film was thrown on the platform randomly as content for the first week of the year. In reality, Good Grief should be known as one of the best films of 2023. Incredibly mature and well crafted, Dan Levy delivers truly impressive work here. The film asks the audience to engage with a layered and difficult conversation that while challenging, is also worthwhile and needed as a look at a core piece of the human experience.
What hits first is the brisk and quiet nature of the film which holds itself like a cool and calm morning. The world that is shot by cinematographer Ole Bratt Birkeland, possibly best known for his work in Bart Layton's American Animals, paints a cold and often diluted winter world that is emotionally juxtaposed by the warmth of human spirit and connection. The dark streets of Paris are lit up not only by the Eiffel Tower, but also by these friends sharing laughs and stories of their best moments. The world finds a deeper meaning of color with a loving kiss and a gentle hug. Good Grief is a film about humans, about the power of humans and the complexity of what can happen inside a body of flesh where desire and longing lay hungry. This sense of acknowledging and valuing the power within the souls and hearts of individuals is perfectly highlighted by this filmmaking style and the visual design of the feature.
Of course, grief is hardly a new topic for cinema. Grief has been examined and chewed on since the very start of narrative features with seemingly every angle of the topic being poked at within some film. It is Good Grief's maturity and focus that helps set itself apart. The film is incredibly natural and honest with how it paints these characters and what they are going for. Their relationships and histories feel complex and lived with their dialogue, from the script also by Levy, giving them the space to reflect and digest what is happening.
Good Grief is not a film with easy answers. The feature doesn't claim a single sentence or answer can solve the question of heartbreak and anger. Even between the three living friends, pain is found and characters have meaningful dialogue where they tackle what is brooding inside of them and land on solutions not always that simple or fulfilling. For anyone wanting a simple romantic drama where everything ends simple and happy in the way the genre often decides, Good Grief will offer something more challenging that feels closer to the reality of life.
The biggest question tackled within the film is a question of when it is time to move on. When one experiences pain or sorrow, the natural response is to do whatever it takes to move on from what is being felt. It feels right to try and end the suffering put on one's body and find an emotional homeostasis. Good Grief challenges this notion and expresses a larger perspective of the importance of finding authentic closure and letting yourself truly work through what they are facing rather than run away from the pain. As said perfectly in one of the best films of all time, "to feel nothing so as not to feel anything, what a waste".
While this seems like a meaningful yet overall standard expression for a film such as this, Good Grief pushes even further within the discussion of moving on. As one grows up, one has to also learn to move on from the good days of yesterday to open themselves up to the brighter futures of tomorrow. One has to understand and be open to the ever-evolving nature of life and humans. Without giving a simple answer, Good Grief asks the audience to engage with these ideas and answer the question of when it is time to move on for themselves. This next step up in thesis is a remarkably moving elevation for the feature that sees Levy expand and prove an ambitious voice for digesting the human experience in a way that feels quite remarkable.
This conversation, to be clear, is not just a theoretical one but also takes place with practical steps within the film. Specifically, there is a focus given to artistic creation as a means of processing trauma and sadness that feels rather beautiful and ends the film on an emotionally rewarding final statement that carries a real weight. The film expresses how some of the most beautiful art is made in a house of sadness, offering a worthy reminder of the layers held within the emotion that can grow and mold into something beautiful with time and perspective.
Holding this conversation is not only the craft of the filmmaking and strength of the script, but also a fantastic ensemble with Levy, Negga, and Patel all offering something of worth. The chemistry found between these three feel incredibly genuine and each are given their own emotional complexities and identities to bring to life. Similar to reality, in a single scene this group can carry the emotion of a conversation from anger to comedy to grief in a way that always feels controlled and cautious. The film never lets one of these emotions overpower the other or fight to be heard, they each flow in and out naturally like the waves at a beach.
It is a true crime that Good Grief has been buried and thrown to the side the way it has. Given a microscopic 2023 theatrical release to qualify for awards without any sense of a campaign, Netflix doesn't have the film listed on its FYC website, the film was thrown on the platform randomly as content for the first week of the year. In reality, Good Grief should be known as one of the best films of 2023. Incredibly mature and well crafted, Dan Levy delivers truly impressive work here. The film asks the audience to engage with a layered and difficult conversation that while challenging, is also worthwhile and needed as a look at a core piece of the human experience.