Miss You Already
Image: Jess (Drew Barrymore) and Milly (Toni Collette) in a scene from MISS YOU ALREADY directed by Catherine Hardwicke.
Milly (Toni Collette) and Jess (Drew Barrymore) have been best friends since primary school, sharing pivotal moments growing up together.
Now adults, Milly, the more gregarious of the two is in a high-powered public relations job and happily married to her rockstar husband with two kids. Jess is also settled and content with her career as a town planner and trying for a baby with her partner.
Their lives are upended when Milly is diagnosed with breast cancer. Jess is the supportive and accommodating friend, being by Milly’s side when she undergoes chemotherapy and helping to babysit the kids. When Milly’s condition worsens however, their friendship is put under immense strain.
While the film is about the tight bonds that bind female friendships, it becomes more about Milly’s battle with cancer and its emotional toll on her and everyone around her. Collette turns in an amazing performance and the film should be commended for its unflinching and realistic perspective.
The camera lingers on the needles going in, and a particularly poignant scene is when Jess applies the bandaging after Milly’s mastectomy operation. With Collette having such a mesmerising presence, the rest of the cast appear two-dimensional in contrast. Even Barrymore’s character lacks depth, with only sketchy details of her life presented. An exception is Milly’s daughter Scarlett (played by Honor Keafsey) who has a natural acting ability.
Miss You Already should not be dismissed as a ‘chick flick’. It’s worth watching for the very human portrayal of life and loss. (ASim)
***1/2
BY ALICIA SIM
