Ordinary Love

Ordinary Love casts Liam Neeson and Lesley Manville as Tom and Joan, a longtime married couple whose relationship is tested after Joan is diagnosed with breast cancer. It’s clear immediately that Ordinary Love’s greatest asset are the top-notch efforts of its two stars, as Neeson and Manville’s completely convincing and impressively lived-in work here ultimately sets the picture apart from its myriad of similarly-themed brethren – with the absolute authenticity of Tom and Joan’s coupling certainly remaining a highlight throughout (ie the characters feel like people who’ve been married for decades). There’s little doubt, as well, that the movie benefits substantially from Lisa Barros D’Sa and Glenn Leyburn’s often gorgeous directorial choices, as the filmmakers pepper the narrative with unexpectedly moving stretches that perpetuate the sporadically heartbreaking atmosphere (eg an emotional, dialogue-free montage detailing Joan’s initial tests). The movie’s matter-of-fact midsection, which details the minutia of cancer treatment and its effect on the afflicted and their loved ones alike, is certainly quite interesting and appreciatively unsentimental, although the picture is, generally speaking, at its best when focused on the central characters’ relationship and their myriad of challenges (ie Neeson and Manville are just that good).

*** out of ****