Fireworkers (Movie review) - A poetic tribute to friendship and its perseverance in the face of grief.

Occasionally, a great loss invades our lives to remind us of the value of each moment we have with those we know and cherish. Fireworkers is a film about one such event that sends a group of still-young adults on a quest to reconnect with what drew them to one another in the first instance.

Brought together unwittingly, by the sudden death of a longtime friend, six estranged pals must face one another with all of the baggage of their collective history to fulfill her final wish–for them to all be together. When Esther dies, invitations are sent to six of her formerly close chums who have since drifted apart and neglected both her and each other. Upon arriving at her wake, she has left them individual instructions describing how to complete her bucket list, and she puts them to the task as a group.

The result in Fireworkers is a stroll through a garden of memories, collecting bits and pieces of the essential elements of the lives and shared pasts of these friends until, little by little, a full picture of the complexities of their bond is thrown into sharp relief. As the assembled crowd mourns the dead, reflects on the past, and discusses their misgivings, regrets, and aspirations for the future, the film leads us through the journey of their story. Failed past romances, new flames, and quests of self-betterment merge. Moments of unified grief, and fond remembrance, punctuate the action of the film, which crescendos into a sparkling finale.

As is required for such a picture, Fireworkers benefits from a strong ensemble of actors whose chemistry is riveting. Director and actor Christina Bennett Lind, Heather Lind, and Gene Gallerano stand out for their inspired performances. The film is shot in such a way that it gives insight into the individual characters’ lives, the dynamics of their interpersonal relations in small groups, and then the totality of the herd.

A poetic tribute to friendship and its perseverance in the face of grief, Fireworkers is a drama that builds us up even as it challenges us to live fuller, more meaningful lives with those we love while they are still near.

FIREWORKERS comes to Flix Premiere on Friday 8th Sept (US) and Saturday 9th Sept (UK).

Submitted September 04, 2017 at 04:10AM by flixpremiere http://ift.tt/2vEWR1u