The Thing with Feathers

In his first time directing solo and in fictitious spheres, Grammy-nominated Dylan Southern (No Distance Left to Run) sets out to adapt Max Porter’s experimental novella Grief Is the Thing with Feathers into an equally adventurous genre-mix starring Benedict Cumberbatch.

The film is split into four chapters (“Dad”, “Crow”, “The Boys” and “The Demon”), each adding a different perspective onto the immediate aftermath of a family losing its centrepiece with the mother’s sudden death. However, it is the father (Cumberbatch), who is most affected by the loss of his partner, whom he relied on for everything. As the graphic novelist struggles to find a way to maintain the household and establish a routine for his boys, two figures from his drawings come to life and battle for his attention.

By removing “grief” from the title, the film pleads a case for the distinction between it and despair, even alluding to hope as an element within the former, as per the original Emily Dickinson poem Porter borrowed his metaphor from. While this allows for beautiful standalone images (such as the family being literally taken beneath the crow’s wing as soon as they come to terms with the role grief will always play in their lives), the project comes apart in its indecisiveness. Part of it tries hard to devolve into a creature feature, borrowing jump scares and other horror tropes, which don’t really jibe with the rest of the narrative, because the set-up has already established that whatever shape grief takes, it is not their enemy. The narration by the ominous crow brings an element of largely unintentional comedy that can go so far as to belie the emotions initially displayed by the actors. The more conventionally contained scenes, especially between Cumberbatch and his character’s children, have a much stronger impact in their simplicity of acknowledging the sheer absence of control brought to light by calamity.

Predominantly, The Thing with Feathers displays a strong concept for song illustration, which clicks in place upon learning about the director’s previous work directing music videos and band documentaries. The film’s highlight is a scene in which Cumberbatch dances with the crow guiding his steps. Individual components like this provide compelling points of departure, however, the feature continues to remain earth-bound, far too preoccupied with its form. Even an exceptionally committed performance from quality guarantor Benedict Cumberbatch can’t save this directorial debut from flailing about helplessly, never taking flight.

Selina Sondermann

The Thing with Feathers does not have a release date yet.

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