by Kristin Ciliberto, Contributing Writer
Many artists in Hollywood have been getting creative behind the camera with projects centering around the pandemic like Songbird and Lockdown. Stephen Daldry, who is known for directing Billy Elliot, The Hours, and Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, directs a film that hits close to home for many audiences. In Together, James McAvoy and Sharon Horgan star as a couple who are forced to reexamine not only themselves, but their relationship over the course of the one-year COVID-19 pandemic. The couple does have a 10-year-old special needs son, but they stay together because of him as the film starts on March 23, 2020 when the United Kingdom mandated ordering people to stay home.
Together resembles an intimate stage play that captures the high anxieties this couple has faced. The audience gets close and personal with McAvoy and Horgan as they break down the fourth wall. McAvoy and Horgan talk to the camera as if it’s a couple’s therapist or a friend, after the film begins with the couple at each other’s throats. Daldry’s film could have worked excellently as a stage play, however, that does not always translate well. I didn’t like feeling like I was being addressed while this couple argued. It made me feel the need to step in and get involved to break up the tension. However, this feels similar to the situation in Malcolm and Marie, as there were always issues that constantly involved the couple arguing.
The film shows the highs and lows of their relationship, but there wasn’t enough to make audiences care too much about the couple. It’s McAvoy and Horgan who hold the film together to keep audiences invested, but is it enough? Yes and no. They have great chemistry, which makes it simple enough to believe them as a couple. It’s quite humorous to show how much time has passed as McAvoy rocks a man bun. The performances show the reflection of what some couples have faced during the pandemic with a lot of real emotions. However, it becomes bloated at times and does drag on. The script was written by Dennis Kelly, who previously wrote for shows like Utopia and the Jude Law film Black Sea, and he tries to speak and capture a moment in time as the story involves some soul searching. Kelly tries to engage audiences, but the film doesn’t make them likable as they argue, showing this couple shouldn’t be together. Also, the son doesn’t matter that much, as he isn’t in the film very much. He’s there mostly as a device to keep the story going.
As the film concludes with a happy ending, it presents there is hope, which is nice to see, as there are better times ahead not only for the couple, but for the future of the world. Yet, it isn’t going to be a film for everyone. If you are a fan of McAvoy and Horgan, there is something to enjoy about this film as it shows a strong character study for the actors involved. For someone like myself, I wanted to walk away from this film really enjoying it. Together was a simple, decent watch to pass the time.
Grade: C+