Considering his hilarious multiple Emmy-winning work on Schitt’s Creek, this markedly different feature filmmaking debut as writer-director-producer and star from Daniel Levy is a revelation — and a welcome one. The appropriately titled Good Grief explores exactly what that name implies, as Levy uses his own experience as an impetus to paint a larger picture of love, loss and grief in all its complexity. But at its heart, this impressive if sometimes tonally dicey story is also about the complications — and importance — of friendship in a scenario that revolves around a trio of BFFs who take a life-changing trip to Paris and get more than they each bargained for.
The opening sets the stage, as we meet Marc (Levy) at a holiday party in the spacious and impressive London apartment, where his flamboyant and successful filmmaker husband Oliver (Luke Evans) is sucking up all the energy.
Marc is an artist (his poignant paintings that play a part in the film’s finale are by Kris Knight) but clearly lives in the shadow of his more famous partner. But it seems to be a life they both love.
In the crowd are Marc’s good friends, the vivacious and lively Sophie (Ruth Negga) and Thomas (Himesh Patel), the latter once a romantic interest for Marc before their breakup and his subsequent relationship and marriage to Oliver. However, tragedy rears its head, as Oliver heads out from the party to grab a cab to the airport and dies in a head-on collision before leaving the street.
The grieving process begins but doesn’t end with the emotional funeral for Oliver, and it all comes to a crescendo a year later and in another holiday season, where friends Sophie and Thomas convince Marc it is time to move on, and one way to do it is to finally read the card Oliver had left him for him as he took off that fateful evening.
In it is far more than he ever bargained for, and to say it provides complications is an understatement. Those only pile up when Marc and Oliver’s lawyer Imelda (Celia Imrie – wonderful) reveals Oliver had a lavish Paris apartment, the existence of which he never shared with his husband. “I guess now is not the time to talk about your will,” she deadpans.
Joined by his two best friends for what they think will be finally a snapping-back-to-life for Marc, the trio heads off for a fun few days to Paris, but unbeknownst to them, Marc is privately on a mission to discover the answer to all the secrets left behind by Oliver, with whom he apparently had an open marriage, a plot point tossed in and given oddly short shrift in Levy’s script.
Although this offers plenty of melodramatic opportunities for Levy, he fortunately resists laying on the soapy elements. It really is just as much a chance to focus on three individuals whose own problems hit the boiling point in different ways that not only reveal truths for each, but also their longtime connection to each other. The balancing act in a movie that is largely about the process and the price of grief is formidable for the debuting filmmaker, who is better known for his comedic chops. But it is just promising enough to make us look forward to where he goes next. The guy is a quadruple threat and an assured talent.
Levy’s ability for directing actors and giving them juicy roles is evident immediately with choice turns by both Negga, sensational as the freewheeling and fun Sophie, and Patel, who is completely believable as he winds himself up in a frenzy at the individual and unexpected actions of his buddies.
It is also a credit to Levy, who lets both of these exceptional actors steal all the scenes they are in. Even though Levy’s Marc is at the center of this, he is somewhat weighed down, having to first play so much grief, and then the complex reaction to the dark situation Oliver has handed him in death.
There are others in the mix as well including Arnaud Valois as Theo, a brief attraction for Marc in Paris that turns into an opportunity to escape the hold Oliver still has on him, and Medhi Baki as Luca, a mystery man with a key to answering some of the unanswered questions.
Emma Corrin also turns up briefly as a performance artist, as does Kaitlyn Dever. But neither has much to do. Evans hits all the right notes as Oliver, even if his presence in the story is felt more offscreen after his character’s early demise.
Paris has never looked more inviting than it does here with Ole Bratt Birkeland’s sumptuous cinematography. The handsome production design of both the London and Paris apartments is perfectly handled by Alice Normington, as are the flashy fashions of costume designer Julian Day. A big shoutout to Rob Simonsen’s music score, and the soundtrack delivered by music supervisor Season Kent, with some terrific songs from the likes Bonnie Raitt, Elton John and especially Neil Young’s haunting evergreen “Only Love Can Break Your Heart.”
Producers are Levy, Megan Zehmer, Debra Hayward and Kate Fenske. Executive producers are Stacey Snider and Caroline Levy.
Title: Good Grief
Distributor: Netflix
Release Date: December 29, 2023 in select theatres; January 5 streaming
Director-screenwriter: Daniel Levy
Cast: Daniel Levy, Ruth Negga, Himesh Patel, Luke Evans, Celia Imrie, Arnaud Valois, Emma Corrin, Kaitlyn Dever, David Bradley, Medhi Baki
Rating: R
Running time: 1 hr 40 min...
The opening sets the stage, as we meet Marc (Levy) at a holiday party in the spacious and impressive London apartment, where his flamboyant and successful filmmaker husband Oliver (Luke Evans) is sucking up all the energy.
Marc is an artist (his poignant paintings that play a part in the film’s finale are by Kris Knight) but clearly lives in the shadow of his more famous partner. But it seems to be a life they both love.
In the crowd are Marc’s good friends, the vivacious and lively Sophie (Ruth Negga) and Thomas (Himesh Patel), the latter once a romantic interest for Marc before their breakup and his subsequent relationship and marriage to Oliver. However, tragedy rears its head, as Oliver heads out from the party to grab a cab to the airport and dies in a head-on collision before leaving the street.
The grieving process begins but doesn’t end with the emotional funeral for Oliver, and it all comes to a crescendo a year later and in another holiday season, where friends Sophie and Thomas convince Marc it is time to move on, and one way to do it is to finally read the card Oliver had left him for him as he took off that fateful evening.
In it is far more than he ever bargained for, and to say it provides complications is an understatement. Those only pile up when Marc and Oliver’s lawyer Imelda (Celia Imrie – wonderful) reveals Oliver had a lavish Paris apartment, the existence of which he never shared with his husband. “I guess now is not the time to talk about your will,” she deadpans.
Joined by his two best friends for what they think will be finally a snapping-back-to-life for Marc, the trio heads off for a fun few days to Paris, but unbeknownst to them, Marc is privately on a mission to discover the answer to all the secrets left behind by Oliver, with whom he apparently had an open marriage, a plot point tossed in and given oddly short shrift in Levy’s script.
Although this offers plenty of melodramatic opportunities for Levy, he fortunately resists laying on the soapy elements. It really is just as much a chance to focus on three individuals whose own problems hit the boiling point in different ways that not only reveal truths for each, but also their longtime connection to each other. The balancing act in a movie that is largely about the process and the price of grief is formidable for the debuting filmmaker, who is better known for his comedic chops. But it is just promising enough to make us look forward to where he goes next. The guy is a quadruple threat and an assured talent.
Levy’s ability for directing actors and giving them juicy roles is evident immediately with choice turns by both Negga, sensational as the freewheeling and fun Sophie, and Patel, who is completely believable as he winds himself up in a frenzy at the individual and unexpected actions of his buddies.
It is also a credit to Levy, who lets both of these exceptional actors steal all the scenes they are in. Even though Levy’s Marc is at the center of this, he is somewhat weighed down, having to first play so much grief, and then the complex reaction to the dark situation Oliver has handed him in death.
There are others in the mix as well including Arnaud Valois as Theo, a brief attraction for Marc in Paris that turns into an opportunity to escape the hold Oliver still has on him, and Medhi Baki as Luca, a mystery man with a key to answering some of the unanswered questions.
Emma Corrin also turns up briefly as a performance artist, as does Kaitlyn Dever. But neither has much to do. Evans hits all the right notes as Oliver, even if his presence in the story is felt more offscreen after his character’s early demise.
Paris has never looked more inviting than it does here with Ole Bratt Birkeland’s sumptuous cinematography. The handsome production design of both the London and Paris apartments is perfectly handled by Alice Normington, as are the flashy fashions of costume designer Julian Day. A big shoutout to Rob Simonsen’s music score, and the soundtrack delivered by music supervisor Season Kent, with some terrific songs from the likes Bonnie Raitt, Elton John and especially Neil Young’s haunting evergreen “Only Love Can Break Your Heart.”
Producers are Levy, Megan Zehmer, Debra Hayward and Kate Fenske. Executive producers are Stacey Snider and Caroline Levy.
Title: Good Grief
Distributor: Netflix
Release Date: December 29, 2023 in select theatres; January 5 streaming
Director-screenwriter: Daniel Levy
Cast: Daniel Levy, Ruth Negga, Himesh Patel, Luke Evans, Celia Imrie, Arnaud Valois, Emma Corrin, Kaitlyn Dever, David Bradley, Medhi Baki
Rating: R
Running time: 1 hr 40 min...
- 12/29/2023
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
In “Darby and the Dead,” the promise of its premise outweighs the delivered product. Director Silas Howard demonstrates his deft capabilities bringing an energetic irreverence and aesthetic buoyancy to the unfurling feature, which is centered on a tormented teen cajoled into helping a recently deceased mean girl get a new life in the afterlife. Unfortunately, despite the film’s undeniable charms and strong lead performances, the fabric it weaves frays as it wears on, undone by clunky character development, trite sentimentality and rushed resolutions.
High schooler Darby Harper (Riele Downs) sees dead people. But unlike Haley Joel Osment’s “Sixth Sense” character, she knows exactly how to help the deceased with their unfinished business. She’s turned it into a full-fledged job, paid only in gratitude, playing spiritual counselor to those she affectionately calls “Deados” who’ve passed away and are stuck in limbo. This special gift was bestowed on...
High schooler Darby Harper (Riele Downs) sees dead people. But unlike Haley Joel Osment’s “Sixth Sense” character, she knows exactly how to help the deceased with their unfinished business. She’s turned it into a full-fledged job, paid only in gratitude, playing spiritual counselor to those she affectionately calls “Deados” who’ve passed away and are stuck in limbo. This special gift was bestowed on...
- 12/1/2022
- by Courtney Howard
- Variety Film + TV
Channing Tatum returns to the dance floor for Magic Mike’s Last Dance. The third film of the Magic Mike franchise just debuted a new trailer that finds Mike performing his magic in London after taking a break from the stage.
Joining Channing Tatum are Salma Hayek Pinault (House of Gucci), Ayub Khan Din (Ackley Bridge), Juliette Motamed (We Are Lady Parts), Vicki Pepperdine (Johnny English Strikes Again), and newcomer Jemelia George. Magic Mike‘s director Steven Soderbergh is back at the helm after taking the second film of the series off. Magic Mike and Magic Mike Xxl‘s screenwriter Reid Carolin penned the third film.
Channing Tatum, Reid Carolin, Nick Wechsler, Peter Kiernan, and Magic Mike Xxl director Gregory Jacobs produced, with Julie M. Anderson executive producing. Soderbergh’s behind-the-scenes team includes production designer Pat Campbell (The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself), costume designer Christopher Peterson (The Irishman), music...
Joining Channing Tatum are Salma Hayek Pinault (House of Gucci), Ayub Khan Din (Ackley Bridge), Juliette Motamed (We Are Lady Parts), Vicki Pepperdine (Johnny English Strikes Again), and newcomer Jemelia George. Magic Mike‘s director Steven Soderbergh is back at the helm after taking the second film of the series off. Magic Mike and Magic Mike Xxl‘s screenwriter Reid Carolin penned the third film.
Channing Tatum, Reid Carolin, Nick Wechsler, Peter Kiernan, and Magic Mike Xxl director Gregory Jacobs produced, with Julie M. Anderson executive producing. Soderbergh’s behind-the-scenes team includes production designer Pat Campbell (The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself), costume designer Christopher Peterson (The Irishman), music...
- 11/15/2022
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
Songs can be like time capsules, messages from the past that conjure powerful images and emotions, transporting us back to milestones in our lives with a signature sound. For the heroine at the heart of “Press Play,” the curated collection of songs on a very special mixtape are a literal transportive device, a time warp that rewinds back to when the love of her life was alive and well. Like the songs that fill its soundtrack, Greg Björkman’s directorial debut has a catchy hook and atmospheric pull — yet the material leaves far too much underdeveloped, unrealized and incohesive to connect with viewers’ heads and hearts.
Laura (Clara Rugaard) spends her days on the beaches of Oahu, capturing the spirit of the island with her paintbrush in the hope of turning her artistic talent into a viable career. She’s so focused on this goal that it takes a whiny...
Laura (Clara Rugaard) spends her days on the beaches of Oahu, capturing the spirit of the island with her paintbrush in the hope of turning her artistic talent into a viable career. She’s so focused on this goal that it takes a whiny...
- 6/23/2022
- by Courtney Howard
- Variety Film + TV
The film, television and gaming music communities got the confab they’ve long deserved Tuesday as Variety hosted the inaugural Music for Screens Summit. Guests including Annie Lennox (pictured above with H. Scott Salinas), Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, Linda Perry, Terence Blanchard and Ramin Djawadi came to Neuehouse in Hollywood for a day of interviews and panels celebrating the art, craft and business of composing and music supervision, capped by a preview screening of Queen biopic “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
The day kicked off with a panel sponsored by Pepsi on the use of music in commercial advertising and featuring five unique case studies. Linda Perry, representing her company We Are Hear, detailed how a Quickbooks spot featuring singer Willa Amai’s cover of Daft Punk’s “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger” created an instant audience for the teen newcomer. Others represented on the panel included Portugal. The Man manager Rich Holtzman...
The day kicked off with a panel sponsored by Pepsi on the use of music in commercial advertising and featuring five unique case studies. Linda Perry, representing her company We Are Hear, detailed how a Quickbooks spot featuring singer Willa Amai’s cover of Daft Punk’s “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger” created an instant audience for the teen newcomer. Others represented on the panel included Portugal. The Man manager Rich Holtzman...
- 10/31/2018
- by Chris Willman
- Variety Film + TV
Def Jam Recordings will issue the soundtrack for “The Hate U Give” on Oct. 12, featuring new songs by the rising stars Arlissa and Bobby Sessions (pictured above). The 20th Century-Fox film – which takes its title from Tupac Shakur’s acronym Thug Life, and deals with highly charged racial issues – opens a week later, on Oct. 19.
“It’s a natural fit for what we do as a company, and the culture of our company,” Rich Isaacson, exec VP of the label, tells Variety. “The movie is about race, about people who are victims of oppression who are just trying to live their lives. So many of our artists speak to these issues, from the beginning of Def Jam to today.”
The film, and the album, features hip-hop and R&B tracks from Tupac, Kendrick Lamar, Pusha T, Logic, Jadakiss and others. Arlissa’s “We Won’t Move” and Sessions’ “The Hate U Give,...
“It’s a natural fit for what we do as a company, and the culture of our company,” Rich Isaacson, exec VP of the label, tells Variety. “The movie is about race, about people who are victims of oppression who are just trying to live their lives. So many of our artists speak to these issues, from the beginning of Def Jam to today.”
The film, and the album, features hip-hop and R&B tracks from Tupac, Kendrick Lamar, Pusha T, Logic, Jadakiss and others. Arlissa’s “We Won’t Move” and Sessions’ “The Hate U Give,...
- 9/28/2018
- by Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
We may not have enjoyed our time visiting “Paper Towns” – read our review here – but that doesn’t mean we can’t appreciate the film’s soundtrack. While we’ve already discussed the official soundtrack release, now that the film is out, check out all the music. Director Jake Schreier and music supervisor Season Kent were able to fill the one hour and fifty-three minute long movie with twenty odd tracks. Some of the bands and artists used in the final film but left off of the official soundtrack release were, Bob Dylan, Bon Iver and the collaboration of Billy Bragg & Wilco. “Paper Towns” is out now in a theater near you and the official soundtrack is available at all retailers. Check out the full list used in the John Green-adaptation, below. Swingin Party - Kindness Moments - De Lux Must Be Santa - Bob Dylan Taxi Cab -...
- 7/24/2015
- by Cain Rodriguez
- The Playlist
The fifth annual Hollywood Music in Media Awards were held Tuesday night at The Fonda Theatre in Hollywood. "Birdman" composer Antonio Sanchez walked away with top film honors while "How to Train Your Dragon 2" and "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug" also brought home awards. "It’s about time drummers get some love — now we have 'Birdman' and 'Whiplash,'" Sanchez said. "This is shaping up to be our year!" The animated film score prize was handed out for the first time ever and is a nice boost for "Dragon 2's" John Powell, who picked up an Oscar nomination for the first film in the series four years ago. Song prizes went to "Lost Stars" from "Begin Again" (with Gregg Alexander performing for the first time in 15 years) and "Everything is Awesome" from "The Lego Movie." Check out the nominees here and a full list of visual media awards below,...
- 11/5/2014
- by Kristopher Tapley
- Hitfix
The Hollywood Music in Media Awards (HMMAs) have announced the nominees in the Visual Media categories.
Showcasing the best and brightest in musical creation for visual media, the 5th Annual Hollywood Music in Media Awards (HMMAs) will be held at The Fonda Theater in Hollywood on Tuesday, November 4, 2014.
The 2014 HMMAs welcome back celebrity hosts including Oscar nominated actor Eric Roberts, former Matchbox 20 member Adam Gaynor, acclaimed Director/Writer/Producer Andy Fickman and Earth, Wind & Fire’s Verdine White. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Education Through Music – Los Angeles (Etmla). Honorees, performers, and special guests to be announced.
The field of entrants were narrowed down to final nominees by the Hmma advisory board and selection committee. The winners will be voted upon by music-media industry professionals comprised of select members of the Society of Composers and Lyricists (Scl), The Television Academy, the AMPAS Music Branch, Naras, performing rights organizations,...
Showcasing the best and brightest in musical creation for visual media, the 5th Annual Hollywood Music in Media Awards (HMMAs) will be held at The Fonda Theater in Hollywood on Tuesday, November 4, 2014.
The 2014 HMMAs welcome back celebrity hosts including Oscar nominated actor Eric Roberts, former Matchbox 20 member Adam Gaynor, acclaimed Director/Writer/Producer Andy Fickman and Earth, Wind & Fire’s Verdine White. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Education Through Music – Los Angeles (Etmla). Honorees, performers, and special guests to be announced.
The field of entrants were narrowed down to final nominees by the Hmma advisory board and selection committee. The winners will be voted upon by music-media industry professionals comprised of select members of the Society of Composers and Lyricists (Scl), The Television Academy, the AMPAS Music Branch, Naras, performing rights organizations,...
- 10/9/2014
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Somehow over the years the Hollywood Music in Media Awards have escaped me. The event's fifth annual slate of nominees were announced today, and it's a pretty standard assortment of names we've been considering at the forefront of this year's Best Original Score Oscar race, from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross to Hans Zimmer to the ubiquitous Alexandre Desplat. The nominees were chosen by an "Hmma advisory board and selection committee," and winners will be voted upon by "music-media industry professionals comprised of select members of the Society of Composers and Lyricists, The Television Academy, the AMPAS Music Branch, Naras, performing rights organizations, film music journalists and music executives," according to the press release. You might raise your eyebrow at something like "Interstellar" being on here when it hasn't been screened for these purposes (or much at all, for that matter). The nominations are also based on hearing music via...
- 10/8/2014
- by Kristopher Tapley
- Hitfix
When most people hear “music supervisor” they think of television and the person who places the songs heard throughout an episode. These days, most shows end with a highlight reel of the artists and music featured in the episode so you can easily figure out who sang what (and, they hope, go out and by the song). But music supervisors do not only exist in the world of TV, they also work on movies. As this past weekend’s Oscar broadcast proved, the main recognition for movie music falls to the film’s composer. Rightfully so. The composer does create the lion’s share of the music and helps deliver the overall impression a film looks to make on audiences, but they are not the only ones involved in shaping the tonal language. Original songs written for a film can become as iconic as the film they are featured in (right, Llewyn...
- 3/6/2014
- by Allison Loring
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.