Review of Blackbird (2020) by Kenr — 29 Mar 2022

A sad story that’s maybe a little too propelled by modern styling:- Expensive house by the sea looking a little too much like one selected for a commercial make-over show, modern potty-mouthed characters who we are supposed to warm to and sympathize with, the token gender-confused pair to keep it in a PC vain, weed puffers, etc.

..Once the storytellers get over setting the scene, there are some challenging situations dealing with euthanasia. Here, thankfully, it pretty much presents the theme from both sides of the emotional spectrum– mostly leaving the audience to judge for itself.

And while it does suggest possible abuses that could surround assisted dying, it never-the-less ends as a solid nod to the activity. Farewells are seldom, if ever easy, so expect some challenging moments exposing those raw edges that can easily hide in family closets.

Performances are mostly intense and convincing, with the cast helping to smooth over some of the shaky bits. Along the way, there are some nice touches examining those misunderstandings that often produce those silly gaps between generations of relatives, as well as parents and siblings.

Even though it’s not Christmas, Christmas is the ‘theme’ chosen for the final family celebration together (not sure why, as it’s a Christ-less Christmas) I’ve heard that the term Black-Birding refers to leaving a social type situation without anyone knowing you’ve gone but that hardly applies here, so not sure why this movie should be titled Blackbird.

Cinematically it looks polished and is graced by a thoughtful and interesting music score. At least this family gets to share their last goodbye or the parting glass together. Heavy going but mostly realistic and often thoughtful.