Rating: 3.5/5
Synopsis:
Director Lynne Ramsay assembles two strong leads to take on her next film. “Die My Love” explores the relationship of Grace and Jackson, a young city couple who relocate to a rural Montana house. Grace has recently given birth, putting her writing on hold while exploring the complexities of motherhood. Meanwhile Jackson is often gone for work, leaving her and the baby alone in a lonely setting. Grace‘s postpartum depression begins to worsen with increasingly erratic behavior, leaving Jackson and his mother concerned for her wellbeing.
Positives:
From the opening sequence of the film, I knew Lynne Ramsay would be presenting a story through a unique, unfiltered lens that would help us understand what Grace is going through. The framing of the camera makes the viewer feel claustrophobic due to the thick black bars that surround the sides of the screen. Lighting is also an asset to the tone of each scene, where the daytime is filled with bright and colorful sequences with some use of old grainy film. This was an interesting touch due to Grace’s feelings throughout the story. She almost never feels relief from her depression yet has a life that most would dream of. She frequently has a difficult time experiencing joy during this period of her life even when everything around her seems to be upbeat. I believe this will touch female viewers who have experienced such a phenomenon, where Ramsay pulls no punches in displaying the difficult fluctuations Grace experiences. She also does a nice job at portraying the hallucination sequences when Grace begins to question reality.
The use of lighting is also effective at nighttime, where Grace experiences some of her worst thoughts and feelings. The eerie, blue tint to the screen makes us feel the deep sense of unease that both Grace and Jackson experience during these times. It also highlights how unpredictable her behavior can be. But it never demonizes either of them to the point of picking a side, rather revealing flaws within their relationship while having to stick together during this uncomfortable time in Grace’s life. While certain aspects of her depression might have been enhanced for the film’s sake, it is an interesting perspective (especially from a male’s point of view). Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson deliver great performances here, helping us feel the tension between the two as they navigate this journey together. Lawrence in particular is terrific, giving audiences a raw, unapologetic perspective of her character. The performance is both physically and emotionally challenging as she has to convey a range of emotions as her feelings fluctuate.
Negatives:
Ramsay does an excellent job on the technical aspects of the film. She also gets strong performances out of her leads. Where she struggles most is with the pacing. This is a story that could have been shortened immensely and been more effective. It also felt like it was going to end five or six times before it actually did. There isn’t enough material to stretch this to a two hour runtime. If the film even trimmed fifteen minutes it would have been so much stronger. We still could have experienced Grace’s struggles well enough to take away the central ideas being explored. But unfortunately the final act of the film is a slog to get through.
Conclusion:
“Die My Love” is an intense look at postpartum depression. It examines the intense range of emotions felt by a new mother while a father has to navigate the situation with care and understanding. It also highlights the characters flaws, which makes the film quite depressing at times. The lead performances are excellent, especially from Jennifer Lawrence. She leans into the vulnerabilities of her character, giving both men and women something to consider when going through this part of parenthood. It’s a bit of a downer but a poignant film when it needs to be.
