This charming and emotional drama from talented local director Tracy D. Smith was shot in Maple Ridge, B.C. Smith brings us an engaging ensemble film starring Gabrielle Rose as a mother quietly coping with dementia and Ryan Robbins as her grown son Noah who still lives at home. Noah’s mother, Rose, does her best to hide her mounting struggle with memory loss. Noah is a self-absorbed but affable aspiring actor who is blissfully unaware of his lack of talent. Oblivious to his mother’s increasingly obvious illness, he is also unable to relate to his newly discovered school-aged son Ben (the scene-stealing Sean Michael Kyer), whom social services dropped off on the driveway.
As we get to know Noah and Rose, we meet a memorable set of interconnected friends and family members also facing pivotal moments of change and challenge in their lives. Themes of love, loss, laughter and acceptance all intertwine within this impressive first feature script from Ian Tang. A compelling story and Smith’s skilled, sensitive direction allow the stellar cast to shine as a variety of relationships are explored, including a heartbreaking love story between two men (Chad Willett and Lane Edwards), and a magical grandma-and-grandson dynamic between Gabrielle Rose and Sean Michael Kyer’s well-crafted characters. –VIFF
