"Michael"

3 November 2024

60s

We're no angels.

This candid appraisal of the life of a man who has found himself, at the age of 75, obliged to become a full time career for his wife, reveals the agony of that unfortunate position. Writer/director Jason Smith doesn't hold back from depicting Michael's unwillingness to tackle the responsibilities that have been thrust upon him, and - by doing so - has really landed the unfairness of his plight.

By portraying unpaid carers as heroes, which we often do, we risk putting people in a position where they feel morally obliged to sacrifice their own lives at the altar of someone else's need. While voluntarily caring for another is laudable, it is a complete societal failure to expect people to 'volunteer' regardless of ability and circumstances, and Smith has captured this with unflinching accuracy.

UK

Charities