I love seeing films like this at Sundance. Director and co-writer Sophie Hyde has created an amazing autobiographic story of Hannah (Olivia Coleman), a filmmaker who takes her non-binary teen to Amsterdam to visit gay grandfather, Jim or Jimpa (John Lithgow).
No matter how much I could describe what happens in this film, I could not do justice to the emotion and compassion brought out by the characters and their story. Whether it's non-binary Francis, experimenting sexually for the very first time or a nearly nude grandpa Jimpa visiting a seedy sex studio in Amsterdam, everything in this story is presented in such a beautiful, funny, sad and sweet way. The unconditional love and acceptance they have for each other felt as natural as breathing.
I confess I am challenged, at times, to remember to use their/them pronouns when appropriate and had to smile at Jimpa who solves the problem by lovingly referring to Francis as his 'grand-thing.'
The acting is superb and the story unique. In addition to Coleman and Lithgow, young Francis (Audrey-Mason Hyde) is played by the child of the director.
At the Q & A, Olivia said she’d cried all of her lovely make-up off hearing the responses of the crowd. John Lithgow praised the director for her process of making sure the actors got to know each other and could create such a wonderful chemistry. He also said that with all the hatred in the air these days, we need more films like this one.
On the KPCW sun rating system, "Jimpa" receives five out of five suns.
