Winter, written and directed by Heidi Greensmith

Winter, written and directed by Heidi Greensmith

Even if this is not a mega production, or because of it, Winter is a worth watching, sensitive and good film.

The central figure is that of Woods Weston portrayed by an excellent Tommy Flanagan, a painter that has suffered a terrible trauma and the consequent Post Traumatic Stress disorder, after the death of his wife he has had trouble trying to continue with his life.

He has two sons, the nineteen-year-old Tom and the fourteen-year-old Max, the latter is interned in an institution and would not be released in the care of his father, until the parent shows that he is responsible- and much of his behavior casts doubt over that hypothesis.

Woods Weston has been drinking, he has tried and stayed off drink for various periods, but various circumstances and especially his grief, the insufferable pain caused by memories of his wife and the glory days, make it impossible for him to resist the temptation of an anesthesia, a reprieve offered by the illusory glass of alcohol.

The older son, Tom, has been caring for his parent for years, but this has taken a toll and it would make him miss his life, or a large- maybe the most important?- part of it while keeping busy with his boozing parent, while rejecting the admissions he has won for the University of Colombia.

Furthermore, when drunk- and it seems that from one point on, alcoholics appear to be permanently inebriated- the father is abusive and he questions so much, or most of what his son is doing and he becomes violent, overbearing and obnoxious, making one think why go to all the trouble of protecting a man who is not only ungrateful, but he feels he is owed more.

However, the answer is also obvious, for if some people can experience Post Traumatic Growth, after a loved one passed away, coming to realize that life is so precious, on the contrary, in the case of the hero, he is always terrified by the thought that he could have been at the place of the tragedy a little earlier and then would have prevented it.

Furthermore, there are scenes after which there is a feeling that, apart from the catastrophe that had hit the protagonist, there is unfairness in the treatment he receives from the rest of the world, except from his sons and some people who are near , who add to his misery.

Take this case where the tormented man sees a lonely child, when he was visiting with his elder son the younger one, Max, and goes to him and tries to engage in a conversation, showing kindness and compassion when inviting the boy to sit with them, if he has no relatives coming and feels like it.

Instead of appreciating this human emotion, the supervisor interferes- in a well-intentioned effort perhaps, but “hell is paved with good intentions”- and is increasingly more hostile to Woods Weston, telling him first to back away and then stating that he would not be allowed to visit his son again, taking all this to an absurd extreme and provoking an awful reaction in turn.

For the hero, already an angry individual, anxious and tense, exasperated with the world after it took away the love of his life and the reason to live, has had enough of this supervisor and the unfairness of which he had already had more than his share and so hits with his head the insensitive official and then kicks him to the ground.

Two women have a chance to improve- or make worse – the existence of the protagonist and his sons, Miriam- portrayed by the wondrous French actress, a key performer in the phenomenal, outstanding L’Auberge Espagnole, one of the best comedies Ever! - and her daughter Sophie played by the actress that was brave enough to act with nonchalance in Nymphomaniac I and II and then be the wife of the magnificent film maker in Godard Mon Amour.

Sophie has a relationship with Tom, even if it is not easy to go out with a man that has such a heavy responsibility and when his date is keen on having some fun, he has to say that he needs to go home, like an aged, married man with several children that need his attention, only in this case it his ailing parent that demands his constant surveillance and push to recover from some new hangover or fight, perhaps both.

The young girl has the initiative and the compassion to suggest that she would take Max with her mother, into their family, since his biological father would be rejected – given the recent violence during a visit, he is not even allowed on the premises any more- but even this generous, kind and empathical offer brings out the violence, Fire and fury that the protagonist so often displays.

When he hears that Miriam and Sophie intend to take into their home the younger son, Woods Weston is convinced this is proof of a conspiracy- which might be due in part to his condition- depression, aggravated by alcoholism- and instead of applauding the solution and expressing gratitude, for after all, this might be his chance to see his child frequently, he gets paranoid and hostile.

There is a however a change of mind, for in discussion with Miriam, the hero learns about the fact that Tom had been admitted to Columbia University, an idea that he rejects since he does not know of this, then insists and understands that his son loves him so much that he is willing- had been in fact- to sacrifice his own wellbeing, a large portion of his life to take care of him.

A dialogue between father and son ensues, there is also hope offered by an exhibition and the perspective improves, not to the point where this would become a syrupy, hard to believe after what has taken place in the movie, ending that could destroy the feature