Aberdeen
An achingly beautiful film,Aberdeenhas an outrageously sentimental premise: Kaisa (Lena Headey) is asked by her fatally ill mother (Charlotte Rampling) to bring her estranged father Tomas (Stellan Skarsgård,) to visit before her mother dies. Kaisa finds Tomas--a jobless drunk--at his home in Norway, and basically drags him on a road trip back to Scotland, over the course of which they're forced to grapple with their past. This could be a recipe for maudlin sap, but instead--thanks to sharp incisive writing, unexpected characters, and performances that encompass humor, brutally honest self-destructive behavior, and subtle gentleness--Aberdeenis bracing, constantly surprising, and deeply engaging. The entire cast (including the always solid Ian Hart, ofBackbeatandHollow Reed) is incredibly good. Highly recommended.--Bret Fetzer