Mahershala Ali, left, and Awkwafina in a scene from "Swan Song." (AP Photo)
“Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity.”
***
Being a parent is the best “job” out there (besides movie critic…or ice-cream taste tester…or college professor/archaeologist/treasure-hunter). There is nothing more rewarding than witnessing the growth and sharing the warmth. Comforting through the lows and encouraging through the highs. From the second they are born, the connection is unmistakable and undeniable.
But 50% of all workers feel dissatisfied with their jobs! And the average person changes jobs 10 to 15 times in their lifetime! If parenting is a job, it isn’t as simple as “I love my kids.” It is the unbearable hours, the lack of recognition, the relentless duties below your skill level, the disillusion of control, the unspeakable stress, the never-ending grumbling from your subordinates, the maintenance, the miles, the on-call hours at 2 a.m…. There is no weightier job on planet Earth than parent.
Admission: There are times when I want to put in my two weeks notice. There are times when I’d like to ask for a reassignment. Between an argument, a diaper blowout, a broken family relic, and a drawer full of contraband candy, I can’t say that I always enjoy my job. Would my life be improved with a new job?
The short answer: No.
The long answer: Even with all its flaws, being a parent is still the best job out there. Investing in real estate pads your portfolio. Investing in stocks produces prosperity. Investing in your children, though…that creates purpose. My efforts, although presently dismissed maybe, will reap a harvest for generations. My job changes Earth’s cultural climate and humanity’s history. What I pour in and work for results in something more precious than earnings — it yields earnestness. More than material — it grants magnitude. My job doesn’t revolve around acquiring lots — it resolves itself in unquestioned and unmatched love.
Despite the inherent pain, there is no job greater than being a parent!
***
Family is the most important thing to Cameron (Mahershala Ali)…but life is complicated. Like all parents, he experiences doubt and anger — like all spouses, he fights through disconnect and pain — like all workers, he creates through periods of inspiration and times of emptiness. That stuff is normal…but his secret, inoperable, invasive, and terminal cancer is not. He doesn’t have the heart to drop this on his wife and his child; he knows it will break them. He refuses to break his family.
When presented with a revolutionary new option, Cameron pursues. Science can now clone an individual and manufacture perfect memory replication…Cameron can give his family a new husband and father! They don’t even have to know it, either! He can spare his family the pain by making a clean swap.
The situation promises the possibility he desires…but he can’t seem to leave them. He can’t seem to walk away from his family.
“Swan Song” is an interesting idea, understated and emotional. Instead of getting lost in the sci-fi, it remains a film about loss and love. Writer-director Benjamin Cleary proves to have vision past sheer spectacle. He creates a nuanced portrait, one not easily dismissed. Although his script is short on power at points, it is great at letting the story breathe.
Mahershala Ali is a powerhouse. The two-time Oscar winner is relentless in his depth and control. He makes a great leading man in this film, able to show big and show small. He brings a painful truth to the turmoil of leaving your family.
I am left lacking a bit with the film’s supporting cast. Naomie Harris, as Cameron’s wife Poppy, is fine but a bit distant. Awkwafina, as fellow patient Kate, is just…not funny. Glenn Close, as Dr. Scott, is there but forgettable.
I enjoyed the cinematography of Masanobu Takayanagi — it is full of wonder and awe. There are effective moments of space and moments of confinement.
“Swan Song” can be streamed on Apple TV+.
REPORT CARD: “Swan Song.”
Grade: B-.
Comment: An impactful glimpse at family and uncertainty
***
Leda (Olivia Colman) tends to find life overwhelming. Although pushing 50 years old, she still gets caught up, still gets stressed-out, still yearns for an exit. She is taking this summer-break for herself and vacationing in Greece. Her tiny rental affords her rest and time and peace and isolation…just what the doctor ordered!
Calming Greece cannot quiet her discomfort, though: her demons persist, her doubt gets louder, her insecurities and failings steal away her every thought. While her time was meant to be spent in study, it is instead used to reflect, rethink, regret. Glimpses of a young mother on the beach beg to be dwelled upon and obsessed over. This young mother, Nina (Dakota Johnson), reminds Leda of herself: outmatched and overburdened. She sees the same unrest in Nina’s eyes, hears the same exhaustion in her groans.
Leda begins seeking out Nina, and Nina begins seeking out Leda. Both give the other a sense of camaraderie and kinship: you aren’t the only mother who dreams of escape! Although now grown, Leda’s daughters are inescapable reminders of her selfishness and inadequacies.
This is writer/director Maggie Gyllenhaal’s first film…and DANG if she doesn’t start strong! This film is one of immense power and introspection. It asks a lot of its viewers. Gyllenhaal shows a unique ability to sit in the unease and reside in the ache; she has her finger on a delicate tenderness not easy to accomplish. Her script adaptation is a bit sparse and clunky at times, but she seems to have captured the core of the material well.
For me, the film’s heart and soul is the captivating performance of Olivia Colman. Her endless depth always translates, and her precision never falters. When she feels, I feel. I would love to see her hold a second Oscar soon!
Another great performance belongs to Jessie Buckley as young Leda; she gives flesh to those feelings later on. I was not blown away by Dakota Johnson — she certainly was “acting”…but I could rarely decide on what she was trying to communicate. It just a bunch of misty eyes and awkward smiles.
I loved the passion seen through cinematographer Helene Louvart. She gave a needed energy and closeness to this character study.
This movie was conversation fuel for my wife and me — that is always something special and a great compliment to the film. It is one begging to be discussed!
REPORT CARD: “The Lost Daughter.”
Grade: A.
Comment: A film of immediacy and intimacy.
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