Presenting a story of perseverance, acceptance, and companionship as tools to fight turmoil and struggle, director John Madden’s fourteenth feature film is set against the filmmaker’s previous successes, including the Academy Award-winning Shakespeare in Love (1998) and the critical and box-office hit Operation Mincemeat (2021). Onwards and Sideways sees the filmmaker join forces with writer Paul Mayhew-Archer in a painfully beautiful dramatic work, delivered to its fullest potential by amazing performances from its stars, Laura Linney and Rhys Ifans, previously known for The Truman Show and The Amazing Spider-Man, respectively.

In the film, two people, one a beloved primary school teacher and the other a talented composer, are bonded for life after they are diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease on the same day, at the same hospital, moments apart.  The teacher, Tony, attempts to conceal his diagnosis and push ahead with his work duties, while music lover Emma pulls all the stops possible to have Tony confront what this diagnosis will mean for not only him, but those around him he treasures most. Emma’s efforts lead her to invite Tony to a dance support group for those living with Parkingsons, opening Tony up to a wider range of individuals who refuse to let their diagnosis stop them from making the most of their lives, as well as leading him into a new era of personal identity and love.

Additional cast members in this heartfelt romantic drama include Monica Dolan, Rory Kinnear, Lea Byrne, Danielle Galligan and Nicholas Asbury.

As evidence of the film’s writing achieving a grounded representation of Parkinson’s using intellect and delicacy, Tony and Emma are told, upon their diagnosis, they now have “five good years left”, and Mayhew-Archer’s script is sectioned off into five segments to embody this borrowed time. From the way the events and emotions build, you are thrown back into further agony when each year is marked on an intertitle on the screen and almost begging not to be shown the next stage, meaning this film knows how to fully lock your emotions in during viewing for a weighted cinema experience, dependent on narrative and context over grand spectacles.

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What follows in the writing is a just, complex balance of the hope with the heartbreak of the situation, as one can’t be positioned at the forefront without the other in the background and changing places at different times. Onwards and Sideways is just as bitter as it is sweet, because it reflects what life itself is and how making sense of that is the only way to mentally manage it. Despite the horrific and unfair situation the central characters have been thrown into, there is still room for humour, and it resonates with grace and glee, with so many characters showing a resistance against Parkinson’s, which reflects how no stone should be left unturned when seeking light in the endless darkness life may seemingly blanket our paths with.

The film’s narrative encompasses so much in so much detail but still feels grounded, attentive and respectful of audiences’ own emotional boundaries-nothing is shock value or exploitative, as the figures involved are granted their own depth and layers, feeling like well-rounded, recognised individuals. The writing is just so personal and rich in countless emotional threads, taking you on a whirlwind of a sentimental journey

The diamonds within an overview of an emotionally intelligent script are, of course, the two central performances by two powerhouse actors, who exemplify opposition and balance against one another. Ifans’s work as Tony conjures up a kaleidoscope of emotions aligning with the fallout of his diagnosis: love, worry, sadness, agony. We feel every second we see of him as he struggles day after day with his condition, with every other scene breaking our hearts a little more. Linney aces Emma’s characterisation as a pivotal force in Tony accepting his circumstances and seeking support when he would rather remain stuck in ignorance and denial fully resonates, and is even reflected in their symptoms: Emma has tremors while Tony’s body freezes. Emma cannot do anything but move ahead while Tony aches to remain fixated where he is now, but the two forces are coming together, and someone has to change shape at respective moments.

Nonetheless, each character still reads as their own and ventures down their own path, yet their individuality is still layered with a beautiful romance which blossoms to full fruition by the film’s bittersweet climax.  Onwards and Sideways absolutely makes for one of this year’s most emotional contenders as a cinematic experience. The rhythm of its narrative will have you smiling, tearful and then smiling through the tears.

★★★★

In UK cinemas on November 6th / Rhys Ifans, Laura Linney, Monica Dolan, Rory Kinnear, Leah Bryne, Danielle Galligan, Nicholas Asbury / Dir: John Madden/ Icon Productions/ 15

About the Author

Ros Tibbs

Editor

Ros is a film and lit graduate writing news and reviews at The People's Magazine. She also writes long-form film theory, film history, analytical or curated recommendations pieces on other platforms.

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