This is not the sort of film I like. I started watching it, realised my mistake but kept watching to the end.There was way too much misery in this film for me. Being brought to tears is not my idea of entertainment. I wasn't, but that did seem to be the aim of this film. There were happy moments, of course, but these were outweighed by misery and anger.

Grace (Susan Sarandon) and Allen Brewer (Pierce Brosnan) are devastated when their son Bennett (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) is killed. He had stopped in the middle of the road to romance Rose (Carey Mulligan) when they get hit by Jordan Walker (Michael Shannon). Grace is obsessed with her son's last minutes with the criminal Jordan waiting for him to wake up from his coma. When a pregnant Rose shows up at their door, Grace is furious and disbelieving. Allen is more supportive of the homeless Rose. Bennett's black sheep younger brother Ryan (Johnny Simmons) struggles to deal with his family and he finds Ashley (Zoë Kravitz) in his support group.The greatest part is the actors. There are some aspects that feels awkward. Grace's obsession is very obsessive. Her relationship with Rose is strange. It speaks to a dysfunction before Bennett's death. Carey Mulligan is enchanting and Pierce Brosnan is terrific. Aaron Taylor-Johnson doesn't fit the school star role. He's more of a geek. This is a sudsy soap that has plenty of family melodrama that is elevated by the first class cast.

Except for the baby ,the movie will remind Italian cinema buffs of "La Stanza DeL Figlio" and the part of Ryan is close to Conrad the young brother of "ordinary people" ;like in the contemporary "rabbit hole" each of the parents desperately searches for solace:the mother tries to talk to the other injured driver to know the last words of her son (whereas Nicole Kidman,fascinated by a comic ,wants to believe that in parallel universes ,her son is happy);the father tries to live again,goes to the movie theater with the pregnant girlfriend,attends the echography whereas his wife quickly leaves the room "if you lose your dog,we're not given a puppy!" The cast is excellent ,particularly Pierce Brosnan,cast against type :he and his younger son seem to have overcome the pain,but when they finally break down,their despair and their tears are deeply moving.The flashbacks are short and effective ,particularly the last one which is also the end of the movie and which is not a goodbye but a hello.

The subject matter seems simple. Boy gets girl pregnant and dies in road traffic accident, and his passing opens all kinds of wounds within his grieving family. But this story is far from a simple one about grief, as it explores jealousy, morbidity, self destruction, and so much more, as Rose, the pregnant girlfriend, pieces together the picture of Bennett the boy she has secretly loved for four years but really only known for just a few hours.Beautifully acted with powerful performances all round, this film is a carefully guided tour about emotional healing processes which is never over sentimental. There are several memorable moments in this film where relationships are threaded together or torn apart by virtue of the wonderful script. The film is exceedingly well edited.You will see more entertaining films but if you are looking for depth of character and well crafted story telling then this takes some beating.