Genova

Michael Winterbottom is another director like Stephen Soderbergh who makes film at an alarming speed. He is also very diverse in the subjects and themes he tackles.

'Genova' is a very low key kind of drama about a family coping after a loss. Each member of the family copes in their own special way. Some may find the film a bit slow moving and not an awful lot happens in the film. But it is still a very well told story. It is also a great travelogue for the city of Genova. It nicely points out some of the downsides if you get lost with the maze like structure of their streets and lane ways. I would not like to go driving there. The film has a very naturalistic and documentary type style to it. You feels like you are voyeurs in these people lives but in a good way.

This means that the performances have a kind of improvised feel to them. Colin Firth is a brilliant actor who is able to give such a moving performance here. He is having a great year. Catherine Keener is good in the film but not really given much to do. Her role is kind of being a tour guide to Colin's family. As the two daughters Willa Holland and Perla Haney-Jardine are excellent. Both give a different perspective of how they cope with the loss of their mother.

A very good low-key kind of drama that does not have any real excitement or ground breaking moments. But it is a welcome relief from some of the very overblown big budget releases we've had lately.