There is not much wrong with this film. It is very moving. I was touched to my core, weeping deeply, several times. For the most part the acting is spot on, and the plot is different. The cinematography is stunning; the location serene, if a tad morbid.
Elvis is a very deep, if troubled young man, of considerable talent. He works as a mortician at the family's funeral parlour, tending to his ailing father in the wake of his mother's suicide a decade earlier. Elvis' love for his father is the most touching you are likely to witness. He reads to him every night before bed. Elvis' father quite rightly worships the ground his son walks on. The plot revolves around a beauty queen Annabelle who is taken to their funeral parlour and the subsequent turn of events.
The simplicity yet authenticity of Elvis' life tantalises Annabelle whose background is all style over substance. In her parents, her shallow, attention-seeking, competitive mother vies with the perversion of her creepy, bourbon-swilling stepfather for who is the more repugnant. Annabelle coaxes Elvis on a journey of discovery, love and ultimately, hope. The plot takes a few turns and the ending is unexpected.
What makes this film for me is the depth and compassion of the three main characters. Joe Mantegna is superlative as Charlie, as is the riveting Max Minghella (God bless his father). Blake Lively also convinces. I was surprised, enthralled, thrilled, captivated, deeply moved; I wanted to stay. You will too.
Elvis is a very deep, if troubled young man, of considerable talent. He works as a mortician at the family's funeral parlour, tending to his ailing father in the wake of his mother's suicide a decade earlier. Elvis' love for his father is the most touching you are likely to witness. He reads to him every night before bed. Elvis' father quite rightly worships the ground his son walks on. The plot revolves around a beauty queen Annabelle who is taken to their funeral parlour and the subsequent turn of events.
The simplicity yet authenticity of Elvis' life tantalises Annabelle whose background is all style over substance. In her parents, her shallow, attention-seeking, competitive mother vies with the perversion of her creepy, bourbon-swilling stepfather for who is the more repugnant. Annabelle coaxes Elvis on a journey of discovery, love and ultimately, hope. The plot takes a few turns and the ending is unexpected.
What makes this film for me is the depth and compassion of the three main characters. Joe Mantegna is superlative as Charlie, as is the riveting Max Minghella (God bless his father). Blake Lively also convinces. I was surprised, enthralled, thrilled, captivated, deeply moved; I wanted to stay. You will too.