Miss You Already

A film about a friendship between two women that has lasted since childhood. Milly and Jess grew up together in London. Milly is fast, conspicuous, the centre of any room; Jess is quiet and orderly. In adulthood two strands run at once: Jess has been trying to have a child for years and is going through IVF, and Milly is diagnosed with breast cancer. Its best quality is refusing to ennoble illness. Milly does not become a better person for being ill; she becomes more demanding, more selfish and at times unbearable. Jess cannot always take it. The fights between them are the film's real material. Toni Collette plays Milly and Drew Barrymore plays Jess. Catherine Hardwicke directed, from a script by Morwenna Banks based on her own radio play. There is something else unusual for a cancer story: the treatment is shown in detail and its effects on hair, breast and body are not hidden. A strong choice for anyone who likes drama built on friendship. For a viewer trying to avoid emotional steering, the last section is built directly for tears and the score conducts it openly.