In the wry and deadpan Bill Nighy vehicle Sometimes Always Never, a father and son make an unwelcome road trip – a pilgrimage to identify a corpse, possibly that of their long-missing son/brother. This often sweet and more often funny film poses a serious question – how does one resolve the unresolvable – a tragedy in the past that is still unexplained? And, in searching obsessively for the Prodigal Son, what about the Other Son?
Writer Frank Cottrell Boyce and director Carl Hunter combine to flesh out Nighy’s character with a lot of singular touches. Nighy’s proper-looking father is an enthusiastic and ruthless Scrabble hustler (who knew THAT was a thing?). And, from some combination of a grief reaction and OCD, he tries to impose order upon his universe with a Label Maker.
The most compelling reason to watch Sometime Always Never is that Bill Nighy is always such a pleasure to watch. Here, he is delightful when he is devious at Scrabble and when he benevolently unblocks his grandson’s courtship. Perhaps one day. iPhones will learn not to autocorrect his name to “Night”.
Hunter’s pacing is most decidedly not frenetic and his color palette is Mid-Century Modern in a contemporary story.
And here’s a random note: I enjoyed seeing the actress Jenny Agutter again, 43 years after she captivated me in Logan’s Run
I saw Sometimes Always Never at Cinequest, where the affable and mischievous Bill Nighy made a personal appearance at the screening.