I was enthralled by this documentary, which covered his life through interviews, photos and videos. But what the film made abundantly clear was that McQueen was a fabulous talent, a troubled, workaholic genius, who traveled the path from skilled tailoring apprentice to world-class couturier in Paris and London. I was astounded by the video recordings of his fashion shows and the inventiveness and sheer brilliance of his often transgressive designs. However, through superb editing and sensitive interviews with family, colleagues and friends, the film also managed to personalize our perception of this shy, pudgy boy-man who could not manage to survive a single day after the death of his mother. That achievement, transporting this viewer into really caring for the artist and man, was worthy of 5-stars for me.

Nick Offerman plays Frank with his usual acerbic manner mixed with tenderness. He also plays a mean guitar. Kiersey Clemens, who plays Sam, is new to me. She's a find, with a fine singing voice and acting chops to match. Toni Collette and Ted Danson are largely underdeveloped neighborhood characters. And then for variety, there is Sam's sweet affair with her bestie, Rose (Sasha Lane, in a breakout performance). This is one of those small, well made American indie films that make going to film festivals worthwhile, since they rarely make a dent at the box office these days.

Saoirse Ronin, no stranger to McEwen having made her initial impact in his story Atonement, played the newly-wed girl, Florence. She was a skilled musician, daughter of an industrialist and a snob of a mother (Emily Watson), but utterly unprepared for the rigors of matrimony. Handsome Billy Howle played the enthusiastic, if somewhat naive, groom, Edward: son of a grammar school teacher and a brain damaged mother (a disparity of class that was meaningful in 1962 England).

The script jumps around in time throughout the difficult wedding night events, intercutting scenes from each character's past which explored each newly-wed's early years and their courtship, but with a mysterious ambiguity about the couples' actions and motivations. The result is a frustrating experience at times, more Victorian than mid-20th Century...but ultimately an emotionally cathartic one by the time the story, which continues on to events in 1975 and then 2007, is fully told. Director Dominic Cooke added visual flair, an authentic feeling for the period, and drew fine performances from his cast. This is a notable prestige drama about characters contemporary to myself (although of a totally different culture) that just worked for me.