Grace (Jennifer Lawrence) and Jackson (Robert Pattinson) are young and in love when they move to a rural house in the middle of nowhere in Montana. After the birth of their son, Jackson goes back to work while Grace is stuck at home looking after him every day. Slowly Grace descends into madness, questioning every single she thought she knew and worrying those around her.
Directed by Lynne Ramsay, this film is a slow burn character study that uniquely portrays postpartum depression. A topic that is usually overlooked, the way in which it was approached here was unlike anything I have ever seen and I have to commend all who were involved. It was raw and intimate and gave me a lot to think about.
This is hands down Lawrence’s film. She steals every single scene she is in and gives it her absolute all. From making me laugh one minute to being concerned the next, I never knew in which direction she would take Grace. The lines are often blurred throughout – it is hard to determine exactly what is real and what is happening in Grace’s mind, but that doesn’t matter. It’s a wild ride that I never wanted to get off of and I’d be surprised if she didn’t get an Oscar if nomination for this.
Pattinson didn’t have the easiest task of selling the distressed husband, but it came across well. The choices he makes along the way aren’t the best though they can be understood to an extent due to everything that is going on at home. Sissy Spacek stars as Jackson’s mother Pam. Not only was she present for her son, she was also there for Grace whose own parents are no longer around. While she’s going through her own type of heartbreak, she still stands as a pillar of support.
The way in which the film was shot really adds to the whole dreamlike state that I felt while watching. The house served as some sort of limbo where whatever happened between the walls would just stay there while life carried on outside of it. This made it all the more isolating. I already mentioned that the pacing was slow which was necessary for the story. At times it was even repetitive, but then something crazy would happen that would snap the audience back to attention. It was kind of like whiplash, but in the best way possible.
Die My Love is not a film for everybody, but I really enjoyed it. With career best performances and stunning cinematography I was swept up into the lives of these two flawed characters from the very beginning. While I do think the runtime could have been just a bit shorter, I appreciated the daring way in which they dealt with the heavy topics and weren’t afraid to push the boundaries.
Rating: ♥️♥️♥️♥️
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