Director: Gabriela Cowperthwaite
Starring: Casey Affleck, Dakota Johnson and Jason Segel
‘A Captivating Classic’
Not many actors in Hollywood have created a legacy as iconic as Casey Affleck. Ever since his recognition in the 1990’s, Affleck has made unforgettable movies. Whether it’s mourning janitors, romantic lovers or gangsters, Affleck has played many strong characters. Arguably, Affleck’s finest strength as an actor has often been his strong screen presence. He is one of those rare actors that has always had the flair for stealing the show in supporting roles which have limited screen-time. Even when he isn’t a main focus of a movie, Affleck has often left a lasting impression. An actor with a larger than life presence, Affleck has made powerful films earning a huge audience. Although he is often overshadowed by his older brother, Affleck has proven his talents as an actor. Throughout his illustrious career, Affleck has made countless memorable movies which are definitely worth talking about.
I’m a big fan of Affleck and adore all the films that he has made in his career. However, “Our Friend” is definitely my favourite. Released in 2019, Gabriela Cowperthwaite’s film offered a thoughtful portrait of terminal illness. Packed with strong production, spellbinding story and engaging acting, it’s one of the best films ever made about terminal illness. At the centre of it all is a superb performance by Casey Affleck, who embodies a caregiver that seeks to care for a wife with Cancer. Ultimately, what makes “Our Friend” a masterpiece is its broad appeal. Unlike most movies about terminal illness, the film tackles strong themes everyone will relate to. It delivers a strong message about friends which will resonate with everyone. A riveting masterpiece about terminal illness, there are many strong reasons why “Our Friend” is a film worth seeing.
Based on a true story, “Our Friend” captures the hardships that a couple affected by grim terminal illness goes through. Casey Affleck portrays Matthew Teague, a successful writer that has always been passionate about his job he loves dearly. Matthew has always shared a long-lasting bond with his wife Nicole (Dakota Johnson), whom he has always adored dearly. However, Matthew’s life forever changes when his wife is diagnosed with Cancer. Faced with the grim hardships of terminal illness, Matthew begins to question whether it’s possible for him to achieve happiness. Just when hope seems to be lost, Matthew is relieved when his friend Dane (Jason Segel) comes to his rescue. Dane is a large hearted friend that seeks to console Matthew during a difficult time. As all the odds become stacked against his favour, Matthew begins to wonder whether his wife would ever be able to recover from Cancer.
Gabriela Cowperthwaite is a newcomer toward tales of terminal illness. Before she had made “Our Friend”, Cowperthwaite had never made a movie about illness before. It was the director’s first attempt to capture tension of terminally ill women enduring adversity but he succeeded. Through bold cinematography, Cowperthwaite captures a terminally ill woman embarking on a journey to find identity. Inspired by Jonathan Demme’s “Philadelphia”, the filmmaker deftly uses reaction shots to capture heartbreaking reactions to sad terminal illness diagnosis. For instance, reaction shots elevate the terminal illnesses scene. During this devastating scene, Matthew is heartbroken when he learns news of his wife’s Cancer. Through reaction shots, Cowperthwaite created a portrait of terminal illness that’s compelling. Reaction shots are tricky techniques to use in movies. As Steven Spielberg’s “Jaws” suggested, reaction shots enhance commemorated horror movies about sharks. However, it works immensely in this film. Using stunning visuals, Cowperthwaite captures tensions that terminally ill women enduring broken marriage are facing.
Another admirable aspect of “Our Friend” that deserves recognition is the production design. Throughout the movie, Cowperthwaite expertly uses production design of hospitals to capture terminally ill women that decline. For instance, the production of hospitals elevates the friend meeting scene. During this sad scene, Dane is introduced to Nicole as she endures sickness in a hospital. Through the production design of the hospital, Cowperthwaite creates a portrait of terminal illness that audiences can relate to. Moreover, the musical score is dazzling. Rob Simonsen’s music is key to the success of the movie. It gives the movie a dark atmosphere capturing the heavy burden women affected by terminal illness bear. Through phenomenal production design, Cowperthwaite captures the lives of terminally ill women experiencing a decline.
Storytelling is one of the main reasons why “Our Friend” is a drama about cancer that is compelling. The movie is beautifully written, and effectively uses non-linear storytelling to capture tensions that terminally ill women are facing. The film deftly switched back and forth among two distinct timelines: the present-day scenes of Nicole’s life following her diagnosis and flashbacks of her joyous life before grim illness. For instance, the non-linear storytelling elevates the FaceTime scene. During this sad scene, Matthew recounts his memories of an intense argument with his wife before her grim illness. Through this ingenious non-linear story structure, Cowperthwaite creates a portrait of terminal illness which audiences can relate to. Non-linear storytelling is a tricky technique to use in movies. As David Fincher’s “The Social Network” suggested, non-linear storytelling is suited to biopics about famous social network companies. Nevertheless, it works immensely in this movie. Through a powerful screenplay, Cowperthwaite captures tensions of terminally ill women today.
One appreciates phenomenal performances.
Casey Affleck delivers one of his best career performances as Matthew. Affleck achieved appreciation for playing thieves robbing huge casinos. With “Our Friend”, however, Affleck took on his most complex role. It isn’t easy to portray a grieving husband seeking to care for a wife with terminal illness but he pulled it off successfully. This is the actor unlike you have ever seen him before: intense, charismatic and emotional in his most iconic role. With riveting expressions, he captures the angst, bravery and grief of a man struggling to care for a wife with terminal illness. It’s a terrific performance from one of the most commemorated actors in Hollywood today.
Dakota Johnson is dazzling as a woman that is diagnosed with tragic terminal illness causing tension. Johnson has often excelled at playing emotional women that experience stress, and “Our Friend” demonstrated her strengths as an actress. Whether she is spending joyous time with her friend or struggling to cope with grim illness that’s heartbreaking, Johnson uses her powerful body language to create a terminally woman that’s compelling. It’s a role that gave the actress a rare chance to showcase strong emotional range that she hadn’t shown before in her career. It’s a powerful performance by one of the most commemorated actresses in Hollywood today.
The final, most notable standout in the cast is Jason Segel. As a friend seeking to care for a woman with terminal illness, he brings heartfelt emotion to the movie.
Finally, “Our Friend” will earn appreciation of everyone for capturing women with terminal illness facing tension. Unlike most films about Cancwr, the film tackles strong themes which everyone would relate to. It discusses strong themes including identity, grief and terminal illnesses which would definitely resonate with everyone. Viewers don’t need to be familiar with terminal illness to appreciate it. It delivers a meaningful message about friendship which would resonate with everyone. Therefore, “Our Friend” is one of those rare films about illness everyone would adore.
Fans of Casey Affleck will definitely appreciate “Our Friend” and so will movie-goers seeking heartfelt entertainment. A touching drama about terminal illness, it honours an actress with charisma.
Nearly a decade following the release of a groundbreaking film about women battling terminal illness causing tension, it’s a riveting reminder about a commemorated actress that has built a lasting legacy earning a huge fan following for her abilities to portray compelling characters in movies that deserve appreciation.
5/5 stars
The Film Buff 