This is a gritty story of a man, Benji, coming to terms with the awful relationship he's had with his mother. Benji's life is a disordered, aimless wreck in the beginning of the film, largely due to the fact that he is unable to care about much of anything beyond surviving the current day. The origin of Benji's emotional wasteland is soon revealed when his mother is reduced to home care and Benji must set aside his own problems to ensure her last days maintain a sense of dignity in the nebulous world of nursing care. As he grudgingly learns to care for his mother, Benji's heart begins to open just enough to appreciate the other people in his life and begin to connect on a deeper level. While there are certainly a fair share of laughs as the story unfolds, the film never pulls punches in the exposition of Benji's journey. Indeed, what struck me most about the film was its ability to remain so real and yet engage me so fully, which in the end makes the resolution all the more resonant. Superb acting, directing and cinematography. Highly recommended.
Review of A Year and a Day
