“Beautiful and impactful, and about a subject that is simultaneously intimidating and universal.”

There isn’t one way to grieve that is considered more effective than others. We all mourn in our own way, and coming to terms with the loss of a loved one can be a daunting process that often feels like we are wandering aimlessly through life, without any sense of guidance outside of the well-wishes of those who care but are still not able to offer the psychological and emotional balm we need in those instances. This is something that the protagonist of Allen Sunshine, the beautiful and heart-wrenching directorial debut of Harley Chamandy, has to endure after the death of his wife. Relocating to a lakeside home in a pastoral region of Canada, he attempts to process this immense loss on his own but is soon drawn into the lives of two young boys who live nearby. Neither of them can comprehend the scope of what the protagonist is facing, but instead they provide the necessary distraction that ultimately proves to be just what he required on his path towards recovery. Beautiful and impactful, and about a subject that is simultaneously intimidating and universal, Allen Sunshine is a tremendous film that takes on many different ideas, weaving them together to create a poignant examination of grief and how it can lead us down various paths that we never imagined we’d traverse, but which turn out to be vital to our journey towards overcoming the pain associated with loss.

At first, Allen Sunshine seems to be telling two parallel stories, since its first act focuses on slightly separate narratives – one about the titular character as he navigates the aftermath of losing his wife, who was both his personal and professional companion and the person who guided his entire life by being his artistic muse; the other about two boys visiting the same region for the summer, and their various misadventures as they begin to examine the world that surrounds them. The stories eventually come together, and we realize that this is a film about a trio of characters who are all facing various challenges and confronted with major emotional obstacles, which can be overcome only by attempting to comprehend some of life’s most peculiar mysteries. Chamandy combines a story of grief with a coming-of-age narrative, two very common storylines that are given further meaning through this nuanced, measured examination of how they evoke similar feelings of confusion in those experiencing them. The director makes some fascinating observations about these two experiences that are mostly considered universal, at least at their core, and which will resonate with many viewers who have felt as adrift and lost as these characters.

Growing up and grieving loss are common experiences that are rarely viewed in similar terms, yet come together in unexpectedly moving ways throughout this film. Allen Sunshine proves to be a much more layered exploration of these themes than we may have anticipated, particularly in how Chamandy draws fascinating and insightful correlations between them and finds ways to put them in dialogue with one another, creating a unique and complex narrative. Despite the intense subject matter, the director is entirely aware of how to look at these ideas without relying on predictable patterns or the tropes that we would expect to accompany such a film. This is a film in which the loud proclamations are mostly inconsequential, while the intricate minutiae carry the most meaning since it’s sometimes the silences that resound with the most force. It is reminiscent of a particular kind of gentle, easy-going character drama produced in the 1970s, where we were presented with stream-of-consciousness narratives that examined the intricate details and used them to construct a rich, vivid tapestry of the human condition. Chamandy achieves this both in terms of the visual aesthetic (setting the entire film in a beautiful corner of the country, focusing on capturing the natural beauty of the region), and in terms of the emotions, which are kept simple. A film like Allen Sunshine works best when it is at its most minimalistic, focusing on subtle emotions combined with a gentle sense of humanity that breaks the monotony and even softens the intense emotional blows that occur throughout the film, making it a tender, genuinely moving drama with moments of extraordinary compassion.

There are many elements of Allen Sunshine that are worth appreciating – it is anchored by a trio of exceptional performances. Vincent Leclerc is absolutely incredible as the titular character, portraying his grief in a way that feels earnest and complex, rather than simply being a bundle of predictable tics that we usually associate with the subject. Miles Phoenix Foley and Liam Quiring-Nkindi prove to be remarkable young talents, portraying his happy-go-lucky companions who represent the welcome invasions that those experiencing periods of deliberate isolation secretly crave. We follow him as he goes on a journey of healing, in which he discovers that life is full of unexpected surprises, and that rather than avoiding them they should be embraced as part of the process. This is not a particularly complex film in terms of its ideology or execution, since it makes its intentions clear from the start and doesn’t waver from its firm commitment to constructing a compelling character study that will be widely resonant. The quiet, meditative tone prevents any heavy-handed emotions from encroaching on this tender, pensive exploration of the mourning process. Ultimately, Allen Sunshine is a film focused on exploring the beautiful poetry of everyday life, a quietly human depiction of grief and how it is not a linear process. Chamandy is a gifted young filmmaker who seems poised to become an intriguing voice in contemporary cinema, and this film proves to be an audacious feature-length debut that will stand him in good stead going forward, particularly if this kind of simple, compassionate storytelling becomes a regular component of his future works.