Ian Fitzgibbon directs Death of a Superhero, based on the book of the same name, by Anthony McCarten. Donald (Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Love Actually) is a talented young artist who is facing his own mortality. As he goes through psychiatrist after psychiatrist, his parents finally introduce him to Dr Adrian King (Andy Serkis, Rise of the Planet of the Apes). Dr King is unconventional and does not indulge Donald, instead challenging him. The two eventually bond and Donald is able to move forward emotionally. Anything sound familiar?
I kept waiting for something unpredictable to happen, but I was left unfulfilled. I can see how emotional the book could have been, but it did not translate well with the stoic portrayal of Donald. I never felt empathy for the young teenager, instead I was more annoyed that he wasn’t taking advantage of his talent as an artist.
I was also hoping for more art in the film but instead Donald’s graphic novel sketches seemed intermittently scattered about with no focus. I had no concept of the characters in the comic or what they were really doing. It’s really a shame because it could have been something fantastic like last year’s, Griff the Invisible.
Rating: Attempting to create an emotional drama, the film just felt like a new version of Good Will Hunting (3/10)
Tribeca Film Festival – Death of a Superhero
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