Stars: Nicole Kidman, Aaron Eckhart, Dianne Wiest, Sandra Oh, Miles Teller
Rating: ***

DIRECTOR John Cameron Mitchell’s previous movies, sex change musical Hedwig And The Angry Inch and oh-so-explicit sex comedy Shortbus, hardly prepare you for this emotionally-charged story of grief and the loss of a child.

Less is more for him this time, so everything is under rather than overplayed – which is what’s needed in this raw drama. Nicole Kidman has picked up an Oscar nomination for her portrayal of Becca, whose marriage is struggling under the weight of grief over the death of a young son.

Husband Howie (Aaron Eckhart) is all for going to counselling sessions.

Becca’s solution is more unexpected – she befriends the teenager (Miles Teller) who accidentally caused their son’s death.

Dianne Wiest as Becca’s mother and Sandra Oh, as another bereaved mother with whom Howie forms a bond, lead the supporting cast and lend solid support in this film taken from a stage play (and it looks like it at times).

As you can imagine this isn’t a barrel of laughs but does offer Kidman and Eckhart the chance to act their socks off.