Brady is a young boy who is confined to a wheelchair. He lives with his mother and, on a set interval he has aquatic therapy in a swimming pool with a young man and the physio. Although he is the title character, I did feel that this film was really not so much about it as it was about his mother – it was just that we come to her through him. In this way I found the film quite affected because, although it uses some heavier touches, it is generally quite understated in how it delivers the character of the mother – giving us a lot with two or three simple scenes.
You feel for her because you see the effort she puts in but also the strain that it takes on her as a person. To a certain extent it feels like her love for Brady has maybe gotten mixed up with all the other "things" she has to do and in a way there are small things that suggest that maybe even him as a person has become a task or object rather than a son; this is not overly stressed or harsh, but rather just part of her character. We see that in her exhaustion and simple desire of any relief from her work, she turns to a person who seems interested and enthusiastic about her and Brady – even though this is a teenage swim instructor and not someone who would be interested in her or settling down into something more. This moment is nicely doe as we see it from a distance (again, via Brady) and it isn't overplayed but rather just allowed to be as awkward and poorly judged as it is – but yet relatable because we know what brought the mother to this point. The end of the film comes not too long after this, but it is with a nice moment where the mother is reminded that she is not alone. It comes after another small moment where we feel she doesn't maybe see him totally as her son so much as part of her work, because she breaks down in front of him with as much consideration as she gives to the furniture in the car (none), and it is him that reaches out to her, providing intimacy and support albeit in the limited ways in which he can provide it.
All of this is very nicely done and, because of this, I did wonder why the film needed to perhaps overplay some of the style of the delivery; the shots of wine being poured merging into the pool, or sun-swept shots all seemed to be a bit overdone in comparison to the lighter and more telling hand regarding the characters. If anything these aspects directed from the more delicately handled material. In the lead role, McColgan is really quite good – although the direction helps her be effective, she is convincing in her struggles, which is really the big part of the film working for me. Caeden is good as Brady although more of a simpler character and device for the viewer.
Overall, the film is very delicately delivered apart from some unnecessarily stylish aspects. It creates and presents the character of the mother very well in only a few simple movements; telling us of her struggle and the need for her to find relief. In contrast to this, and bringing in the title character, it ends with a nicely hopeful tone, as we are reminded that Brady is there and, while he is a challenge, he is not a burden – something we see that the mother values being reminded in such a small way. It is a stripped down film that leaves a lot to be seen rather than told, but it is one that I found quite touching in what it gave me regarding the mother.
You feel for her because you see the effort she puts in but also the strain that it takes on her as a person. To a certain extent it feels like her love for Brady has maybe gotten mixed up with all the other "things" she has to do and in a way there are small things that suggest that maybe even him as a person has become a task or object rather than a son; this is not overly stressed or harsh, but rather just part of her character. We see that in her exhaustion and simple desire of any relief from her work, she turns to a person who seems interested and enthusiastic about her and Brady – even though this is a teenage swim instructor and not someone who would be interested in her or settling down into something more. This moment is nicely doe as we see it from a distance (again, via Brady) and it isn't overplayed but rather just allowed to be as awkward and poorly judged as it is – but yet relatable because we know what brought the mother to this point. The end of the film comes not too long after this, but it is with a nice moment where the mother is reminded that she is not alone. It comes after another small moment where we feel she doesn't maybe see him totally as her son so much as part of her work, because she breaks down in front of him with as much consideration as she gives to the furniture in the car (none), and it is him that reaches out to her, providing intimacy and support albeit in the limited ways in which he can provide it.
All of this is very nicely done and, because of this, I did wonder why the film needed to perhaps overplay some of the style of the delivery; the shots of wine being poured merging into the pool, or sun-swept shots all seemed to be a bit overdone in comparison to the lighter and more telling hand regarding the characters. If anything these aspects directed from the more delicately handled material. In the lead role, McColgan is really quite good – although the direction helps her be effective, she is convincing in her struggles, which is really the big part of the film working for me. Caeden is good as Brady although more of a simpler character and device for the viewer.
Overall, the film is very delicately delivered apart from some unnecessarily stylish aspects. It creates and presents the character of the mother very well in only a few simple movements; telling us of her struggle and the need for her to find relief. In contrast to this, and bringing in the title character, it ends with a nicely hopeful tone, as we are reminded that Brady is there and, while he is a challenge, he is not a burden – something we see that the mother values being reminded in such a small way. It is a stripped down film that leaves a lot to be seen rather than told, but it is one that I found quite touching in what it gave me regarding the mother.