Mike Mills' sophomore feature is a remarkable leap forward from his debut (Thumbsucker). Taking more serious, more autobiographical content as his focus here, the result is full of life with several moments of genuine emotional resonance. Topics like cancer, marriage, sexuality, family and leading a meaningful life are difficult to navigate with lightness and grace, but Mills manages just that. Ewan McGregor, Christopher Plummer and Melanie Laurent are all capable of these demanding roles and pull them off with flying colors. There are times it borders on the cute or clever pitfalls of some American cinema lately, but it mostly handles things free of irony or cliche. An honest, tender, elliptical film that illustrates the importance of embracing beginnings instead of dreading endings, staying in a state of constantly becoming, resisting stagnation and plateaus, being open to new things, and choosing to step outside of your comfort zone for things you care about. Really liked this.
