At the end of a far too short day

Donald (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) is full of rage. He's cutting himself off from his parents and his classmates. Actually, that's not really unusual for a fifteen-year-old boy. But Donald has a valid reason for his anger: his short life will soon come to an end far too soon. Donald tries to cope with the approaching death in his very own way. He flees into a world he creates himself through his drawing talent, a world in which he is invincible as a muscular superhero. When his desperate parents once again send him to a psychologist, Donald, after initial hesitation, finds in the unconventional Dr. Adrian King (Andy Serkis) a confidant to whom he can reveal his fears and dark thoughts. In fact, the sessions with Adrian seem to help him. Donald opens up a little more to his surroundings and, as a result, gets to know his rebellious classmate Shelly (Aisling Loftus). Finally, Donald feels like a real teenager. But his nemesis, the unbeatable Death, lurks around every corner and quickly makes the boy realize that he is just not a superhero.

At the End of a Day Far Too Short is the film adaptation of the acclaimed young adult book Superhero by New Zealand author Anthony McCarten, who also wrote the screenplay for the adaptation. In a very sensitive way, director Ian FitzGibbon's third feature tells the story of a boy who learns about love in the face of death and how life can be worth living and beautiful. What could very easily have degenerated into shallow kitsch has, thanks to the sensitive direction and original staging, become an authentic and, despite its sadness, very beautiful film about life and love.

FitzGibbon lets his main character go through all the ups and downs that determine the everyday life of any normal teenager. To be sure, the fact that Donald is doomed is omnipresent and can never be forgotten based on the boy's appearance alone. Nevertheless, it is often the little things, the quite normal fears and hopes that determine his thoughts and actions. And he deals with all of this in the comic world he has created, which has been magnificently realized by the German animation studio Trixter. The animations are classic, hand-drawn images that reveal to the viewer a glimpse into Donald's soul, his fears and his deep-seated anger.

These images, combined with the strong acting of Thomas Brodie-Sangster (Indeed.Love), ensure that Donald becomes a very tangible character whose fate touches the viewer without making him feel too emotionally manipulated. Certainly some moments, especially towards the end, could be called manipulative kitsch. But since FitzGibbon also directs these moments rather restrained and integrates them perfectly into the overall picture, they actually just seem touching and beautiful and not at all overdone and cheesy.

Besides the more than convincing Thomas Brodie-Sangster, FitzGibbon has also chosen the rest of the cast very well. Andy Serkis delivers an excellent performance as the psychiatrist. It's true that his appearance reminds us a lot of Robin Williams in Good Will Hunting and the relationship between Adrian and Donald can be compared to the Gus van Sant film. But even this is not very disturbing. Rather, it can be said here: better well copied, than badly self-made. Young Aisling Loftus rounds out the trio of actors carrying the film with a very charming and natural-looking performance that quickly makes it clear why Donald is able to escape his sadness and anger, at least briefly, in the presence of Shelly.

At the End of a Day Far Too Short is a moving, sad, but in parts also surprisingly amusing and very, very beautiful film. A drama that not only reveals glimpses into the torn soul of a teenager, but at the same time shows how beautiful life can be if you just let it. Whether as a book or a movie, this story is: absolutely recommended!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp