Trying not to be too bitter, the film features many lush landscapes, ranging from the bucolic coastal region of Edinburgh (Scotland) to the busy urban scene of Tokyo. In fact, this trip to Japan shows one of the highlights of the film when Thelma tries to get the autograph of a manga artist who prefers to live as a recluse and who doesn't like showing off to his fans (and the ending of this part ends up surprising).
Between visits to her son in the hospital and the change in her routine that even forces her to leave her job, the determined mother is faced with actions that change her perspective on life and force her to perform unusual tasks beyond her capabilities.
The moral that the film wants to convey is contained in striking phrases and dialogues. And it is Thelma herself who gives us this wisdom in narrations that justify her actions. As she herself states, 'nothing can get in the way of the infinite love between a mother and her child'. Or, in a fantastic passage near the end, he says: 'life is like an electroencephalogram, a straight line means death'.
Louis' final wish is what will disorient the viewer. Be ready. The viewer, of course, can interpret it in two ways (or even more). You know that ending where we need to sit next to another moviegoer and debate what happened there? So.
But this is Cinema. Be cathartic. Teach in your form of entertainment. Showing that life passes quickly and that we can transform ourselves to change the grief that usually circulates our paths.
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