Bleeding Love - GFF24 review by Pat Byrne

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Bleeding Love – GFF24 review by Pat Byrne

Bleeding Love is a road trip movie starring Ewan McGregor and his daughter Clara. They play father and daughter taking a trip together from San Diego to New Mexico after the daughter has experienced a drug overdose.

It’s a long drive to where they are going, apparently to see an artist friend, and the two have a lot of reconnecting to do as the father abandoned his family when experiencing problems with alcoholism.

There’s a lot of resentment and a lot of healing to do but we see flashbacks of tender fun filled moments the two shared in previous years.

Despite the estrangement and tense atmosphere, as the miles are covered, their connection is palpable – the height of this is when they join together singing the Leona Lewis hit ‘Bleeding Love’, which gives the movie its title.

Along the way they meet a range of quirky characters, not quite so believable as the relationship the father and daughter share, but some are pretty amusing and these episodes serve to demonstrate the severity of the daughter’s addiction and her willingness to put herself at risk.

Emma Westenberg’s feature length debut is an enjoyable movie, which I’m sure many will watch with interest, with the introduction of another McGregor to the big screen. Clara McGregor certainly makes an impression in the demanding role of the vulnerable young addict, devastated through feelings of abandonment but ultimately conveying hope.

(Clara co-wrote the script with Vera Bulder and Ruby Caster)

Part of Glasgow Film Festival 2024

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