SO ENGAGING AND VERY REAL

Pick this movie up in the video shop and you'd probably put it straight back down as the story at first glance would appear too simple and a bit depressing but I'm so glad I watched it.

It basically about a brother and sister (Philip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney) who face having to deal with their aging father, who is suffering from dementia, after the death of his partner and loss of his home.

The thing that is so special about this film is how real it is and anyone who has gone through the same situation will relate on many levels.

The film is completely engrossing, the characters (only 3 three really, the brother, the sister and the dad) and their relationships individually and combined are raw and exposed in a way that shows us a reflection of ourselves. Not many films can do this in the same way.

This film is not happy or sad, it's about life and death and everything in between, really thought provoking.

The acting is superb, Philip Seymour Hoffman rarely disappoints. Laura Linney is just brilliant as a depressive 39 year old, failed playwright, having an affair with a married man and living in her more successful brother's shadow and Philip Bosco's performance as the Dad who has to move from his home in Sun City, Arizona to a nursing home in Buffalo, NY is compelling.

What a surprise of a movie. If you are facing, or have faced the dilema of caring for an elderly/dying relative it's a must watch or if, like me, you are simply fascinated by human relationships and behaviour this is a winner on all levels.