Death of a Superhero

source: Death of a Superhero

The title of the movie does not do this film justice as it is a very gritty and realistic portrayal (by Thomas Brodie-Sangster) of a 15 year old boy in Dublin dying of cancer. So many movies of sick/dying children have a saccharine predictable battle-against-the-odds-with-stoicism theme, this one tells it how it really is when a mid-adolescent boy must traverse all the usual challenges of teen peer pressure, bullying, acceptance, sexuality, parents responses to teen growing pains, love, rejection etc all the while facing grueling treatments that leave him bald and gaunt. Anger, acting out and suicidal tendencies mingle with family anxiety, denial and fear in a potent brew of emotion. Into this milieu steps a quirky psychiatrist Dr Adrian King played by Andy Serkas, the 3rd such professional to try and moderate Donald's extreme behavior. Donald expresses his emotions via sometimes dark and sexualized cartoon superhero type art (hence the title) and this becomes the entry point that the shrink uses to connect with a boy on a nihilistic even suicidal path. Although Sangster was 20 when he played this role, he is very convincing in the role, age and stressful circumstances of the story line. Serkas is brilliant as a psychiatrist who specializes in the mental health of dying patients and shows remarkable flexibility and resilience in dealing with Donald's volatile world. Having watched a parent die from cancer, this movie captures some of the raw see-sawing emotions loved ones have around a dying person with a superb portrayal of the realities of teenage life woven in.

I think the reason I put this on my watchlist was for the lead, Thomas Brodie-Sangster. How can it be an IMDb 7 rating and not be at least worth watching, even if not great? I'm not unhappy I watched it. I was really hoping for more, though. I'm not gonna tell you the whole story. The themes are very familiar to most movies about coming to grips with loss - lots of other movies pop to mind, the most apt being "Good Will Hunting". There's even... let's say the writers got 'inspired'. I think Thomas Brodie-Sangster did pretty well without eyebrows and with the pretty lame writing. And wow, the writing is thin AF. There's little real emotion. I saw another review say 'melodrama', and YES. Not drama. Milquetoast made-for-TV level drama, not real drama. Part of this wet fart have the main character 'into' drawing and comic books. It is incredibly underdeveloped. In fact, that's what I'll say. The whole movie is incredibly underdeveloped. Avoid like an unfinished bridge. Go watch "Banshees of Inisherin" if you like tougher, realer movies. Otherwise, there's like 10 seasons of 'The OC' you're gonna love. Maybe just 6. One forgets. There's one nagging thing - there's a soundtrack 'generic rock song' that sounds a LOT like a "Republica" song. Something about baby i'm ready to go. This movie is so derivative!

As you follow the last weeks of a teenager who escapes in his drawing skills, we get to experience parts of what it feels like trying to outrace Death, while having a last good moments with family and friends... and maybe have a go at this thing called Love if we can spare a heartbeat or two.

I am not into making judgemental comparisons between books and filming adaptations of the former ones, because I believe it would not be fair. Nonetheless, I can say it seems McCarten was asked to build a script that would fit in an hour and a half movie. I missed some depth in a few characters and relationships (both the live ones and the animated ones), but, yes, it might demand quiet a longer movie, I think. I cannot help view the movie through the book, but, once again, it would not be fair to value the film in light of the original McCarten's comic- script novel. Enjoy the movie =).

A year ago I wrote a review about Matching Jack, an Ausralian film about almost the same sort of story. I complained then that despite of the superb acting, the story itself followed every cliché in the book. Well this one is more or less writing the textbook of how to do it right. It doesn't avoid any of the unavoidable melodrama of such a story but it does it without ever letting it spill over. The acting is superb in this one too, but the story makes you feel like you're viewing real people and not a movie about real people, and in this case it works for the film. It's nice to see Andy Serkis for real this time - he does a wonderful job even when not hidden behind fancy CG. Also excelling are the two young leads Thomas Brodie Sangster and Aisling Loftus. There's something in this sort of story that brings out the best from actors. In such a movie if they didn't do it properly it would've turned the film downright unwatchable.

Rang true to teenage life in Ireland. Impressive acting. Walks the line between touching and funny.

The story is really realistic and interesting ,, How a teenager thinks with him dying , he has also an artistic way of thinking feeling the pain in a comical sort of way , that's unique perspective ,,it was sweet and a bit depressing but painfully real , I loved the acting especially from Thomas and Andy Sirkes ,, they were excellent I'm not a fan though of the inappropriate scenes it wasn't necessary ,, the idea was obvious

I don't (and didn't) know a person with cancer, but I think, there is something true in this story. We all can be aggressive and cruel, but we can't be so offended at life. Healthy people will never understand the one with cancer, but we can try. And we must. Because the human beings can't be alone. We need to be surrounded by warmth and care, physically and mentally. This film is not only about an incurable disease, it's about relationship. Real, difficult, "in the raw" relationship between parents and the kid, brothers, a boy and a girl, and just between people with difficult life situations. This film is about hard, painful, distressing acceptance that not every problem can be fixed, but it's not the reason to give up. Andy Serkis, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Michael McElhatton as the other actors make me believe the story, and film crew makes me live in this drama for 93 minutes. Thank you a lot.