Director: Heidi Greensmith
Cast: Tommy Flanagan, Tom Payne, Judith Godreche, Stacy Martin, Bill Milner, Tilly Wood
Running Time: 95 mins
WINTER follows a man (TOMMY FLANAGAN) left devastated after the murder of his wife. After the initial trauma, he develops serious mental health issues which affect his relationship with his two children.
Mental health is not an easy thing to discuss or portray in films, many demonise people who suffer from them, and others make the topic too lighthearted. Winter finds a way to discuss this delicate subject in a mature and fair way. A successful artist’s life is changed forever after his wife is brutally murdered. He slowly breaks down, hearing voices, hallucinating, and drinking heavily to make these effects disappear. His behaviour takes a serious toll on his family, with his youngest son being taken into care and his oldest son trying desperately to keep the family together.
Tommy Flanagan gives a fantastic performance here as Woods. It’s very difficult to portray someone with mental health issues without going over-the-top or being offensive, but he manages to give a very realistic and sensible performance. Tom Payne also gives a great performance.
Films like Winter will strike a nerve with many people. A lot of people are affected by mental illness in one way or another and Winter does pack an emotional punch. It highlights how mental illness can happen to anyone at any time in their lives, and briefly hints at how ineffective the mental healthcare system can be.
Overall, Winter is an excellent film and will hopefully get distribution after its successful screening at the Glasgow Film Festival. Tommy Flanagan gives a fantastic lead performance and should be considered for lead roles more often. It is not an easy film to watch, but it is well made, well structured, and director Heidi Greensmith has done an excellent job here.
Verdict
