What’s eating Colin Firth? This preoccupied actor, never knowingly carefree, is perfectly cast in Supernova as Sam, whose long-term partner Tusker (Stanley Tucci) is succumbing gradually to early-onset dementia. Firth will always be associated with his eye-catching dip in the lake in the BBC’s 1995 Pride and Prejudice but it’s a hair shirt, not a wet shirt, which his pained expression calls to mind.
For most of Supernova, the couple are wending their way across the Lake District in a mobile home, though Nomadland this is not: these are wealthy, creative gays, complete with cute dog and comfortable knitwear. Sam is a British concert pianist returning to the stage after an extended absence; his upcoming recital is to be the climactic stop on their journey. Tusker is an American novelist struggling with his latest opus. He is also the complainer-in-chief, whether objecting to the satnav’s imperious tones or chiding Sam for his cautious driving: “How about exploring the outer reaches of fifth gear?”
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