Just look at the trailer below and what do you see? A couple falling in love and struggling through adversity and all the while singing blue grass music. Well, that has nothing to do with this movie. All the scenes are obviously in the film, but it has been hand picked to show only the happy moments and exclude the central themes of the film. Maybe they thought it was too much of a downer to let us know what this film is actually about, but it would be nice if they gave you a vague clue.

The film tells the tale of a young couple Didier and Elsie. They are unconventional in most ways, he is a bluegrass singer and she is a tattoo artist. After a brief and lust filled relationship, the couple have a child and after this point the downward spiral begins. At a tender age, their child Maybelle develops cancer, and the couple struggle to hold things together while their child battles with her illness.

This is a well made film, with interesting cinematography and a clear sense of style, the acting is powerful and the blue grass music is impressive, but it is unremittingly bleak. From the early scenes on we are left with a steady downward plunge of events and while life doesn’t always have a happy ending, it is quite bizarre to see such a tale on the screen. It could never be made in Hollywood (don’t expect a remake) but as a portrayal of how life can be altered by illness, it seems sadly accurate.  It is one of the most unusual films I’ve seen this year, and brings the term tear jerker to a new level. Don’t trust their smiling faces above!