SUPERNOVA is a drama as much about what is left unsaid to loved ones as it is about living with dementia. We follow Sam (Colin Firth) and Tusker (Stanley Tucci) an artistic couple who are on holiday in the Lake District just as, or because of, Tusker’s mental acuity shows an alarming decline. They attend a family gathering, Sam makes a speech of thanks on the normally articulate Tusker’s behalf and they are left to consider what the future holds for their relationship. The astronomical imagery and the thematic links to the workings of the brain and the breadth of human love are hugely affecting, but what makes the film is the honest, unadorned central performances. Both Sam and Tusker are trying to protect the other, being too considerate in many ways rather than discussing every aspect of the upcoming difficult chapter in their lives. The film could have ended one scene earlier to be more powerful, but this is still all-but-guaranteed to leave you sobbing. SSP