djnever00 I am not at the point this film displays, but I am 21 and face a tumour almost touching my brain. I'm nowhere near suicide tho so no worries there. This film felt obnoxiously real tho. I watched this because of Cumberpatch's performance as Holmes. An incredibly gripping film, I hated watching, until I watched the end. All actors played their role to perfection. The realities of facing the challenges that come up in life are so well portrayed. Messy situations lead to making a decision based on what we think is right now. All this leads up to the modern collapse of all morality. No one knows what is right and what is wrong anymore. Everything is right. Nothing is wrong.

heidee7 "I'm 29 today. I won't see 30." This is how James starts off the film. Right away it strikes a chord in me because that is my age at this moment. How would it feel, to have to say that? "I'm 29 today. I won't see 30." Suddenly I want to berate myself for panicking about turning 30. It's lovely to reach 30. Not everyone gets the chance.James goes on to introduce the other important characters in his life, who have all come together to celebrate his birthday - his last one. His three life long best friends Davey, Bill and Miles. His sister Chloe, who is taking it pretty badly but tries to hide it. His parents, who keep a brave face but... no one should outlive their children. Then he utters the next line that tugs at my heart."The sickness may be mine but the tragedy is theirs."Barely five minutes into the film and I am already in tears. Great. Just great.The rest of the film is about a trip to James's favorite place on earth, Barafundle Bay. His best friends give him this wish... and all of his wishes, as it turns out, in the end. The trip is no easy one, no simple road trip. They actually had to hike up these mountains while pushing their things, and sometimes James, in a makeshift cart. At some points they lose some of their possessions, including the cart, so they have to carry James. As I watched them doing all these things for their friend, tears slid down my cheek in appreciation of their love for him.I came undone at the scene with the fireworks. His friends had the idea that since James liked looking at the stars and "dancing in the cosmos" that they would put on a fireworks display for him. So they do just that and as the sky lights up, so does James, in that way that people do when they are in genuine awe of something beautiful and spectacular. I just knew what he was thinking then - "My God it's beautiful. I'm glad I get to experience it one last time." It was a true testament to Benedict Cumberbatch's acting skill that he was able to convey this much with merely his facial expressions. I cried for him. And I cried for his friends, who did this for him.While there's a lot of laughter among them, there are also tension-filled moments, some even ending up in fisticuffs. James tells off his friends, telling them that he is angry at them for living a life that is watered down. "It's not about the cards that life deals you, it's about the hand that you feel safe playing," he tells Davey. James get his own reprimands, though, from Miles, who reminds him that he only started writing his novel when it became too painful to stand up. "You never finish anything."Despite all setbacks, they eventually do manage to reach Barafundle Bay.And they're all happy as they enjoy a romp in the water until that night, when James springs something on them. "Tomorrow I'm going to swim out into the middle of the bay and I'm not coming back. I know the enormity of this and I am asking you to let me swim," he says quietly. "No!" is their instant indignant reply. He tries to reason with them, saying, "Gradually I'll slip further and further into thinking solely about pain, and that's not worth living for." Davey recounts with, "Everytime I saw your family, I would know that we could have had you for another day, to say goodbye properly." James tries to dissuade him by saying, "That's just it, there won't be a better goodbye than the one we just had. I have never been so alive and now I want to end it. I want to finally finish something."This does not convince them. His screams of pain later on in the night does the trick, though. And the movie ends with a really really really really really heartbreaking last shot of the four friends on the beach, James dead.No wait, that wasn't the last shot. The last shot was of the sky dotted with stars, and a voice-over of James saying his final heartbreaking piece:So I raise a morphine toast to you all. And, if you should happen to remember it's the anniversary of my birth, remember that you were loved by me and that you made my life a happy one. And there's no tragedy in that.I couldn't seem to stop crying after that. The movie made me think a lot. I keep flashing back to that moment when James breaks down and confesses:"I don't want to die. I want more time. I want more time. Take any of your pointless, consumer f***ing lives. I was going to do so much. I was going to be special." I'm 29 today. I won't see 30.If that were true, would I be happy with my life right now?

heidiguard-nanookie Great film, powerful and moving. It ranges somewhere between "A Single Man" and "Tree of Life" and definitely belongs into the "Arthouse"-section. If you enjoy slow-paced, poetic storytelling and are not opposed to the odd figurative metaphor this is definitely a good tip.Anyway, at first I was frustrated because I didn't understand a lot of the dialogue. But the subtitles distracted me from the scenes and so I turned them off. I only realized about half-way through the film that it was really quite unimportant what they were talking about. It was the mood that counted, the emotions and the dynamics between the characters. To me, their emotional journey was beautifully illustrated and underlined by the gradual loss of their luggage - their worldly possessions, so to say - and artificial means of help, leaving them literally on their own with barely anything besides their naked emotions in the end, and here only the stuff that really mattered. I think one can safely say that the film truly "boils down" to its ending. Here I have to say that ALL actors were brilliant. The breathtaking Benedict Cumberbatch might have had the leading role and the most screen time in total but EVERYBODY did a fantastic job at showing the conflicting emotions that occur in this kind of situation. I also thought that everything was pretty realistic, thanks to a fabulous script. The anger, being envious of the people around you for the time they still have, the regret and bitterness but also the peace and the feeling of security that comes with knowing your destination are all feelings that one can relate to.Besides, the film was beautifully shot and edited. The quiet pictures of the sea or of birds wheeling overhead alternating with the scenes of emotional tension, the soundtrack... it all fitted together perfectly. Anyway, prepare a big box of tissues if you plan to sit through this one. BC's performance will break your heart.

sydniejimerson In giving a movie ten stars I feel like I really have to explain why but I'm not sure I even can. The first reviewer on this movie talks about how boring most of the movie is but I have to say I disagree. Although I can see how some people might not be enraptured by parts of the film I really enjoyed all of it, even the parts that seemed unimportant. I thought the acting was amazing, everyone did a perfect job, there were humorous parts that sort of caught you off guard and you CANNOT help but sympathize heavily with these characters.And then there's the ending. I have to agree that the ending is the best part of the film, and I also have to say that I never cry at movies.I really don't. I might get teary eyed at a sentimental or touching scene but I have only actually cried at a movie maybe twice in my life. I cried at this movie a LOT, and rather heavily. And at the end I sat through the entire credit reel just crying and crying. I generally don't like sad movies but this was beautiful and tells an amazing story about friends and what they'll do for each other even in terrible situations no one should have to deal with. It's short, and perfectly so.And I'm just not sure I can express beyond this how much this movie has EFFECTED me. I will buy it at some point and it will be in my list of top ten movies of all time. I'm shocked by the low viewer ratings but I do realize a lot of people have a hard time with "slow moving" films and I suppose this could qualify as one but the slow moving plot really sets the mood and gets you attached to the characters before the end. And I just must say I loved this movie.