Ordinary Love

At the end of March, I watched an excellent film, Ordinary Love, starring Liam Neeson and Lesley Manville.  (Manville will be a familiar face to anyone who watches British film or television regularly). 

As the title suggests, the story follows an ordinary couple through a year of difficulty.  Tom and Joan are empty nesters living in Ireland.  They have a nice relationship, have endured a terrible tragedy in the past, but have learned to live with the pain of it.  They mostly get along with a sense of dry humor and affection, but have their petty squabbles just like everyone else.  I appreciated the "realness" of their relationship, for lack of a better term.  The film showed the good, the not great, and even the ugly, without flinching. 

 

 And while it has gotten to be trope to say an actor's performance is "brave," both actors really dug deep for this one.  You can feel the longevity and intimacy in their relationship: the ups and downs, and how they've managed to stay together and even enjoy the journey together.  It was a window into a very private space, and the actors portrayed it extremely well.

I also appreciated the depth of this story, and the age of the primary actors.  They are not old or young, but in that long middle age where long term relationships can founder and die.  They tolerate each other's quirks, and even though they are living through a trauma, they still reach for and find each other throughout the ordeal.

 

It's not a fast-paced film, and you have to lean into the silences and the quietness of the story, but what a gift this film is.  I'm still thinking about it, weeks later. 

I'd love to hear from anyone who has seen it--what did you think?