Review | As long as there is love

On November 11th, the new production by director and screenwriter William Nicholson, hits theaters, WHILE THERE IS LOVE (Hope Gap), starring Annette Bening (Georgetown, Rules Do Not Apply), Bill Nighy (Simply Love, A Matter of Time) and Josh O'Connor ('The Crown', The Kingdom of God). The film follows the story of a couple, Grace (Bening) and Edward (Nighy), who have been married for 29 years. However, with the visit of his son Jamie (O'Connor), the plot heats up when Edward announces that he wants a divorce from Grace. This unexpected news causes many issues to be debated and called into question throughout the plot.

The feature doesn't have much action and from the moment it heats up it stays warm until the end of the feature. An interesting thing is that before the protagonist is taken by surprise, the viewer is already aware of what is to come. Initially, we might think how unfair Edward's decision is, but looking at it from the outside, unfair is staying in one place feeling unhappy and making the other person unhappy. I think that not all of us have this maturity and sometimes we opt for comfort instead of what is really good and I would be the most assertive to do it even if it means giving up on a marriage of more than two decades. In the end, we are in search of happiness and that's what the movie talks about, about being happy.

There are some very strong emotional scenes and the fact of how to move on, find your place in the world that was once known and is now seen in a different way is difficult, but it is a reality that happens a lot. Several couples break up and it's not always simple and easy to do. Things are even worse for those who are left or abandoned, as the feeling of "mission not accomplished", "where I went wrong" and various questions surround the thoughts of this person and it gets worse when there is more return, as Annette portrays very well in her interpretation .

Another important fact is the dependent relationship between mother and child that gains new air from the separation of Edward and Grace. The breakup makes them need to re-evaluate the relationship they have with Jamie, which becomes a very powerful bond between them. Although Edward prefers not to keep in touch with Grace, it is through Jamie that he does, indirectly communicates with Grace that at all costs a second chance. She is resistant, with a lot of anger and sadness. However, the worst place to be is in Jamie's skin, which despite being an adult, is something difficult to deal with, especially since he also has his own fears, problems, his own life. It is a work that humanely approaches the question of happiness, marriage, family relationships.

The film is based on the personal life of director William Nicholson. As a young man, his parents separated after nearly 30 years of marriage and this affected him deeply, causing him to change the way he saw his family, a seemingly unbreakable unit. After a few years, Nicholson realized that his personal background could serve as an inspiration for a movie.

“The breakup of my parents isn't something particularly special, it happens to so many people,” says Nicholson. 

In addition to the excellent performances, the script is well tied, the sound of the film is calm and the landscapes are beautiful. The film has a blue and green palette, something that highlights the cold of the place and the sad situation the characters are facing now. The message between the lines is interesting and very real. It's common to go through difficult times all the time, but we have the possibility to come out stronger if we try to move forward, it's about overcoming adversity. the feature As long as there is love premiere in theaters on November 11th with distribution from California Films.