Aarcflick

Whether or not you enjoy screenwriter and director Dylan Southern’s new film, THE THING WITH FEATHERS, will likely depend on how much you’re convinced by his visual representation of the central concept of the beautiful book on which it’s based.  Novelist Max Porter chooses to tell the story of a grieving widower and his two young sons by imagining their grief as a large black crow that harasses them, nudges them, and even physically assaults them into accepting their devastating loss. What works on the page often falls flat or becomes ridiculous on screen, and I was very worried that seeing a man-sized crow with a thick Northern accent wouldn’t work. But I’m happy to say that, at least for me, it worked perfectly. Director: Dylan Southern Writers: Dylan Southern, Max Porter Stars: Benedict Cumberbatch, Sam Spruell, David Thewlis I was deeply moved by this small family in their brutal struggle for survival. Benedict Cumberbatch is in almost every scene and perfectly embodies a fath...