The second feature from actor-turned-writer-director Harry Macqueen (Hinterland)  features two outstanding performances courtesy of Colin Firth (Love Actually, A Single Man) and Stanley Tucci (The Devil Wears Prada). Centring around a middle-aged gay couple struggling to come to terms with a devastating diagnosis, Supernova presents an intimate and gorgeously atmospheric modern drama.

Having been diagnosed with dementia two years earlier, best selling novelist Tusker (Tucci) has decided that he and his long time partner Sam (Firth) must go on one last adventure together. The couple decide to travel in their tired old camper van to recapture the early days of their relationship and visit old friends and family members while they still can. It soon transpires that despite being his usual sharp, self-deprecating and brilliantly acerbic self, Tusker’s condition has visibly worsened of late.

We follow along the way as tender moments turn into angry exchanges as the couple arrives at their final destination to stay with Sam’s sister (Pippa Haywood) and her family at their beautiful country home. As grand gestures are made and tearful goodbyes are said, Sam feels as though he is being pushed aside and that decisions are being made for him by Tusker, resulting in a heartbreaking showdown between the two.

Macqueen’s writing is sharp and succinct, but isn’t without a degree of contrivance and predictability. Contrivances aside, it is his dialogue which ultimately wins the day for me.  Tender moments are often broken up by witty and commendably realistic exchanges between Sam and Tusker. Tusker’s elaborate jokes and playful quips seem to function as an ice-breaker and often result in elevating Sam’s mood from sadness and worry to almost child-like exasperation.

Supernova clearly borrows from similar narratives, notably Michael Haneke’s award winning drama Amour or even Still Alice (Richard Glatzer, Wash Westmoreland), but Macqueen is careful not to fall into the trap of simply mimicking other narratives. He does this by injecting a great deal of humour and wit to this otherwise heartbreaking story.

Elsewhere, Dick Pope’s sublime cinematography captures the mood perfectly in his depiction of a still and atmospheric English countryside, while Keaton Henson’s mournful score adds gravitas to Firth and Tucci’s phenomenal turns.

This is a heartfelt and engaging story about love, sacrifice and what it means to envisage life without a loved one. It is also a story about two people trying their hardest to come to term with the inevitable. Ultimately though, it is the sheer brilliance of Firth and Tucci performances which makes this into something truly special.