The new beginnings. Forgiveness, change and adaptation to the new. These are some of the topics it covers “All That We Love”, a quite emotional drama that should appeal to both animal fans and those looking for a simple, but very human story. Let me explain: the film begins with the death of Emma’s dog (Margaret Cho), which will surely bring more than one viewer to a tear (it certainly did to me). And although the film does not treats That is precisely why the memory of the pet is a constant presence, as a kind of symbol of the problems that our protagonist now has to face.
But I’m getting ahead of myself a little. It turns out that Emma lives in Los Angeles, and has a very close relationship with her daughter, Maggie (Alice Lee). But the death of his dog is not the only change that is coming. Maggie is in a relationship with an Australian boy named Nate (Devon Bostick), and has decided to move, even temporarily, to the land of kangaroos and koalas, which greatly surprises Emma. And suddenly, she also finds out that her ex-husband and father of her daughter, Andy (Kenneth Choi) has returned to the United States after living for years in Singapore… and after abandoning his family due to his alcoholism. It is all of these developments that force Emma to reconsider the directions her life can now take.
This is how “All That We Love” develops as an intimate story about a middle-aged woman, who suddenly has to face all sorts of changes in his life. Emma is characterized almost immediately as someone accustomed to routines; someone who has been affected by the death of her dog both emotionally and practically, and who does not put as much effort into her work as he did before her. Therefore, all these news are like a splash of cold water, and like a good routine person, she resists them. This results in quite believable scenes in which we see Emma in constant conflict, either with her daughter, with her recently appeared ex-husband, or with her best friend (and Maggie’s godfather), Stan (Jesse Tyler Ferguson).
It is also intriguing to see how “All That We Love” very gradually reveals the reasons why Emma separated from Andy, and the reasons why everyone around him seems to hate him—from Maggie herself, logically, to Andy himself. But what the film posits, of course, is that people do have the ability to change; that no matter what mistakes they have made in the past, they can redeem themselves and try to be better people and treat others with compassion and apologize to those they hurt. This results in some of the film’s most emotional moments, especially towards the end of the story.
Which, happily, does not mean that this film is exclusively a redemption story for Andy. Quite the opposite, in fact the narrative may be a lot about forgiveness, but fortunately the director and co-writer Yen Tan always focuses on the character of Emma, and how she must face all these situations, making it clear that the actions of all her characters they bring with them certain consequences. Thus, the film ends up telling us a lot, too, about the relationships between mothers and daughters, lasting friendships, love and sex, routine, and the concept of moving forward.
Because if there’s one thing Emma has a hard time doing, it’s precisely that: moving forward. She can’t forget the past; She fills her house with old photos, gives Stan a nostalgic photo of her late boyfriend for her birthday, and reunites (both emotionally and sexually) with Andy, mostly due to (positive) memories of the past. . She highlights an emotional scene between her and Stan in which the latter implores her to move on; which is what we should all do. The theme may not be left in the subtext, then, but that lack of subtlety doesn’t make the experience any less powerful. In fact, it helps one empathize with the character of Emma, a complex woman who makes many mistakes, but who loves those around her very much.
I certainly can’t complain about the performances. Margaret Cho She is excellent as Emma, developing her as a woman who is stuck, who clings to the past, but also to the people she doesn’t want to let go. She knows that she has to let her daughter start a life of her own, but unfortunately she refuses to do it, it costs her. On the other hand, Kenneth Choi He plays Andy as a remorseful man who is trying to grow up and accepts the mistakes he made in the past. Alice Lee stands out as Maggie, Jesse Tyler Ferguson avoids most of the “gay best friend” clichés when playing Stan, and it’s always a pleasure to see Missi Pyle, who here plays Emma’s co-worker who is dedicated to raising and give away puppies.
“All That We Love” It ends up feeling like a candid experience, one that manages to focus on a main character who feels real, like many of the mothers, aunts, sisters, and women in general we might meet in real life. It is a film about a person full of flaws, but who is nevertheless trying to cope with his problems, even if he is delaying or has a hard time moving forward. The performances are all fantastic, the directing style is subtle but solid, and the emotional component is powerful, making many viewers cry at very specific moments. Animal lovers will end up heartbroken after watching “All That We Love,” but the rest will find a well-constructed narrative, starring characters who are forced to mature, even if it seems like it’s a little late to do so.
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