| Our Friend | |
| Director: | Gabriela Cowperthwaite |
| Cast: | Dakota Johnson, Casey Affleck, Jason Segel |
| Release Date: | 22 January 2021 |
| Genre: | Drama/Comedy |
| IMDB: | 7.3/10 |
Our Friend Plot
After Nicole Teague is diagnosed with cancer, it got extremely difficult for her husband Matthew Teague to take care of his wife, children & household. During that time, their friend, Dane gives unexpected support to the couple. He puts his own life & relationship on hold to move into their family home. “Our friend review”
Our Friend Review
To put it in one sentence, it’s a simple yet so soulful movie that I was overwhelmed. I wanted this movie to never stop. Based on The Friend: Love is Not a Big Enough Word; by Matthew Teague that is based on a true incident. The trailer itself gave me hope that this movie is going to be what I was waiting for a long time. Many films talk about the real struggles of cancer from a family’s perspective but to see that I can actually experience being in their shoe satisfied me as an audience.
First of all the lead cast of this movie is absolutely good. I’ve seen earlier performances of Dakota Johnson many times but she was simply outstanding as Nicole Teague who was diagnosed with cancer. I didn’t expect to see her in such a good & fresh role. She was always so sweet with her family & had a very realistic approach when dealing with her children. The same goes for the other two actors- Casey Affleck & Jason Segel.
After a long time, I saw Jason Segel in a different kind of role than his usual comedy. I was actually surprised when I saw him in the trailer. So, Jason was so convincing as ‘Dane’ that makes you wish only if you had such a best friend in your life. He was tremendously supportive to his friend’s family during the time of crisis & put their situation before his own life & relationships. He was always available for the kids- Molly(Isabelle Rice) & Evie(Violet McGraw), for his friend Matt whenever they had to take Nicole to the hospital or helping them fulfilling Nicole’s bucket list. He’s the ‘man’ who keeps this soapy drama from sinking. His small gestures like taking his friend, Matt on a hike just to give him a little serenity make the drama more heartful. He was impressive.
Therefore, Not to say much about Casey Affleck whose ‘broken’ attitude fits the character of Matt going through the pain of losing his wife. We’ve seen a similar role in Manchester by the Sea (2016) that won him the Best Actor Academy Award that year. And I think he’s good especially in roles where the character is sad, broken, and/or struggling. Further From making his family his priority overwork to trying to make up his broken image before his unsatisfied daughter Molly, & then dealing with his own stress & struggles of life- I found him very convincing in his actions alongside Dakota Johnson & Jason Segel. And Each of the cast has delivered an amazing and memorable performance. Along with the emotional scenes, there are many funny scenes too like those with the kids especially with Violet McGraw’s cute laughter that are sure to elate you.
Verdict
It is a very beautiful and honest movie that explores friendship & relations to different, unspeakable heights. How a true and caring friend can bring a huge change in your life especially when things get hard and you need help. Such people are like a glue that holds families together. This is a must-watch movie, definitely worth your time. A movie like this can’t be watched within the daily hustles of your busy schedule. It needs your complete attention, calm presence fully dedicated to it to feel the emotions explored in the story, and maybe a blanket & a comfy couch would enhance the magic of Our Friend review.
