Review: Blackbird

Deciding to end her battle with ALS, a mother gets her family together for one last weekend before ending her life on her own terms. While this story’s premise seems dark and upsetting, Blackbird deals with the subject matter in a very elegant and understanding way. 

Lily (Susan Sarandon) is losing her mobility day by day. Her husband, Paul (Sam Neill), predicts she may have a week more before her body completely fails her. Coming to terms with her future, Lily decides to have one last perfect weekend with her loved ones before taking her life into her own hands. 

One by one, her family shows up to their Beach house. Their eldest daughter Jennifer (Kate Winslet), arrives first with her husband Michael (Rainn Wilson) and son Jonathan (Anson Boon). 

Next is her best friend, Liz (Lindsay Duncan). Her youngest daughter Anna (Mia Wasikowska) arrives after with her on again off again girlfriend Chris (Bex Taylor-Klaus).

From the beginning, you can tell the two sisters are at odds with each other. Jennifer is the buttoned-up conservative, while Anna is the free spirit. Instead of their usual bickering, the sisters decide to play nicely for their mother.

The film holds an awkwardness that follows every scene, with each person anticipating what will happen. They try to keep things as normal as possible; everyone goes on with their day as anyone would, with walks on the beach, a game of charades, and enjoying each others company.

For the audience, there is a lot of wondering what is going to happen for a while. Thankfully, there’s a beautiful scene with Paul and his grandson, where he explains what Lily will do once everyone leaves. It provides a lot of clarity about the situation and you get a better idea of why Lily has decided this is the path she wants to take.

Blackbird could have been a bleak attempt at a memorable melodrama, but it was saved by absolutely fantastic acting. Whether it was reaction shots or just being in the background, each member of this cast was in character at all times. Without a doubt, this cast saved the story. 

Susan Sarandon proves why she’s one of the best actresses of our time without saying a word. With small gestures and acting with her eyes, you can feel the love, pain, and strength that her character holds by these actions alone. 

Mia Wasikowska was another one who caught my attention. Her character could be described as cliché, but Wasikowska adds a complexity to Anna that leaves your heart shattered.

Surprisingly, Winslet was underused. Her character could have been more developed than the prude on the page, but she did what she could with what she was given. Unfortunately, her meatier scenes were much too late in the film. 

While the film’s tone has a dark subject, Director Roger Michell made this film bright and warm with an inviting color pallet. Whether it was talking about the suicide or sharing a memory, he handled each scene with a love and care that made Blackbird watchable. 

The story moves slowly, but it’s not snooze-worthy. The biggest problem is the few twists that happen a bit too late, especially the last one. It felt like a clock was ticking, and they needed more drama before the film ended. That being said, the twists were fine; they just happened way too late. There was barely time for any resolution, which made the ending feel rushed.