A Little Bit Of Heaven: "I Definitely Live Up To My Nickname, "A Little Bit Of Heaven"

Director:   Nicole Kassell
Writer:      Gren Wells
Starring:   Kate Hudson
                 Gael Garcia Bernal
                 Lucy Punch
                 Kathy Bates
                 Rosemarie DeWitt
                 Romany Malco
                 Alan Dale
                 Treat Williams
                 Whoopi Goldberg
Rating:      ***

Home Release: Out Now

This rom-com, drama is funny, sweet and extremely touching, but lack of chemistry means it doesn't hit the romantic mark.

Marley (Hudson) is a young, fun living party animal who is addicted to work and being with her friends. One day she finds out she has cancer and her world is turned around, affecting her and those around her. Hudson gives a lovely performance and is really able to tug at the heart strings. She is funny and endearing and really makes the character enjoyable to watch. Her Doctor, Julien Goldstein (Bernal), is young and handsome and is their for her every step of the way. Slowly they fall in love, and with this being her first true love it is extremely bittersweet and takes her a while to give in to it. He gives a cute and naive performance but he and Huson really lack the chemistry this film needed so that all kind of falls flat. It is such a shame, because if it wasn't meant to be a rom-com it would've been fantastic, but lack of chemistry can really ruin a film, and here it does.

Sarah (Punch) is Marley's colleague and one of her closest friends, she is always able to make her laugh even in the darkest times. Punch is perfect in this role, she is caring but at the same time extremely funny. She really puts her all into the comedy, but she truely shines in the more emotional scenes. She has done alot of comedy in her career, but I really see her breaking into more serious stuff very soon. Beverly (Bates) is Marley's mother, she cares for her, but like all mothers is overbearing and gets on Marley's nerves...a lot. Bates again is perfect, she is so subtle with her performances, but each scene and line is delivered so perfectly that she is able to make you laugh or cry in an instant. Both actresses' chemistry with Hudson is perfect, and are able to make each scene believable and extremely moving.

Peter (Malco) is the neighbour and gay friend of Marley, again he is able to be funny but very tender. His character is the male equivelant of Punch's, but the male/female dynamic between him and Hudson makes it different and nice to watch on screen. Renee (DeWitt) is marley's oldest and dearest friend, she has a daughter whom Marley adores and another on the way. Her performance is one of the saddest due to her conflicting emotions throughout. Her joy over the new baby is always weighed down by the coming loss of her friend and she plays it beautifully. She distances herself from Marley and clearly struggles, and this all comes across so well on screen that she is capable of making you cry very easily. 

Jack and Dr Sanders (Williams & Dale) are Marley's dad and cancer doctor they are the emotionally distant and harder characters in the film. The contrast with them against the other character is nice as it balances the film out, and gives you some different emotions to watch unfold. Both performances are nice and believable and add that extra layer to the movie. God (Goldberg) is a nice comic relief cameo and adds a couple of funny and tender scenes to the mix. Goldberg is on top form as usual and is a perfect little cherry on the cake.

The director (Kassell) does a good job with this film, especially at the end with the three important people in her life not being at her bedside, but representing different ideas of death 1. Floating in water 2. Up in the clouds 3. Baby being born. The acting is well done, and the writing is funny and sweet at the same time, and is also able to make you cry. it is a shame about the two leads chemistry issues, but don't let it put you off as it is a good watch. It's out now on DVD, so go grab a copy.