A beautiful movie about beautiful people sharing a deeply beautiful story about love and life and being abruptly confronted by both. I don’t want to wait to face my mortality before I start living like Andrea Gibson does.

This is what I think education should really be. Turning historical facts and textbook stories into context. I feel like I learned so much about the cultural impact of Beethoven and his 9th by understanding the context of the Enlightenment and humanism and how those concepts have permeated throughout the last few centuries, culminating in present day atrocities and anxieties and collective griefs. And all that I was left with at the end was hope and a yearning to explore more.

Evil, thy name is bureaucracy. The tight camera framing really kept the discomfort levels high for the entire runtime and I hated it. Bravo.

Wondrous time. Truly loved the story and the message.
The animation was a bit disconcerting, though, and took me out of the story more often than not.

Photography and narration brought me in and really put me into a childlike state, with perspective, camera style, and especially with the unconventional use of color. And then it all brought me softly to ruin when that innocence was ripped out from under me.
I was lucky enough to see this at the Boulder International Film Festival with a short Q&A with the filmmaker.

Chivalry is decidedly not dead. And I really enjoyed the “slice of life” vibe where it felt like I was just watching two emotionally mature people discussing a really heavy situation in a fun and confident manner. I was waiting for a “but” twist at the end and was so pleasantly surprised to not be let down.

Stylish af, I really enjoyed the blend of documentary and film. I don’t think the pacing quite worked for me, though, and it ultimately just didn’t capture my attention enough.

The animation and sound design was out of this world. I do think the first hour, retelling the SEALs’ stories, really buried the lede. The story (as stated in the synopsis) was about the importance and efficacy of psychedelic medicine, but, by the time that takes center stage, we’ve already spent a long hour being emotionally drained. The last 45 minutes was excellent, but it felt hidden from me when it was what I really signed up for.

There are smart decisions, and there are right decisions.
There wasn’t a dry eye around. Not that I would’ve been able to see much through my own tears. I felt a real connection to the courage, sense of responsibility, and indomitable spirit from every one of them at every moment in this film. The enduring themes that live with me are about love and the intrinsic value of life and nature.
On top of such a miraculous and courageous story, the editing of this film was top notch - I’m so glad they documented their journey so thoroughly. There’s a clear story with incredible footage, crafting a beautiful and absolutely crushing experience.

For a movie about grief, I didn’t connect with the person who died nor the protagonist. They show so little of Bill Murray and don’t give us much of a reason to care about him, and then we only really see any signs that we’re supposed to be following someone’s grief like an hour or more into things. At that point, I was mostly just confused and the climax/payoff/solution to the main conflict just resolves with 3 phone calls.
But dog, so… at least I didn’t find myself actively bored.