Watching a family get torn apart mentally by the specter of suicide is not what one would describe as a casual movie choice. However, in All My Puny Sorrows, three actresses carry the film to heights far above parts of the script, weaving a tale of grief, anguish, frustration, and sorrow that is compelling and enjoyable to watch.
Based on Miriam Toews’ 2014 novel, the film focuses on two sisters, Elf (Sarah Gadon) and Yoli (Alison Pill), and their mother, Lottie (Mare Winningham). After Elf attempts to commit suicide, Yoli returns to Winnipeg to help her recover, an uphill battle as Elf insists she wants to die.
Caught in between is the stoic mother, Lottie, who is already dealing with the suicide of their father, creating a vicious circle of swirling emotions, which, as it turns out, is the perfect vehicle to let this cast shine.
All My Puny Sorrows is not an easy film to watch. Yoli is a struggling novelist with so much emotional baggage that it’s amazing that she functions at such a high level. Watching Elf, a brilliant pianist, have no desire to live and the two of them confronting heavy emotion and unresolved feelings is sometimes exhausting, which is how Winningham’s Lottie seems to be on a daily basis.
All three actresses do superb jobs in their roles, creating a cyclone of emotions that explode at different times for different reasons, and it all seems very real.
Writer and director Michael McGowan does a solid job of not compromising these characters, making their flaws and issues real and, in turn, doing more than lip service, dancing around suicide and how it affects everyone. The main cast rewards McGowan for this, taking the material and his direction and making it their own. They create a dysfunctional family that tries so hard to function, where living sometimes is just too hard.
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At times, too much attention is paid to staying true to the source material, as literal references and quotes from different literature fall flat as they leave the characters’ mouths. The sisters’ Mennonite upbringing is also treated with erratic flashbacks and explained in a very vague fashion, leaving it up to the viewer to sort through it all. It sometimes feels very out of place, like McGowan is trying to be just a bit too clever.
Winningham, Pill, and Gadon rise above any small issues and take the material to another level. The connection between the sisters is strong and emotionally charged, as is the bond between Yoli and her mother, Lottie. Some scenes are so emotionally well done that you almost feel as if you are peeking in on personal family business.
Haunting, dark, and blessed with strong performances, All My Puny Sorrows is a harrowing look at suicide and family. It shows how we, as human beings, especially flawed ones, deal with the fallout, making us look hard at ourselves when it’s the last thing we want to do.
All My Puny Sorrows had its premiere at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival.
