In front Presidential election in the United States in 2024Commented political commentators on both sides of the time the problematic voting process with a kind of national biopsy. Now, ”Come see me in the good light“-A striking and airy documentary about the genderqueer poet Andrea Gibson and their outrageous fight against ovarian cancer-premieres at. Sundance 2025 Against a plethora of new Anti-HBTQ steps that President Trump recently took.
Director Ryan White gives this gripping look at the fragile in human life at an important time for queer and transgender people in the media. White’s atypical portrait of Gibson – which is reminiscent of something like the tragicomic “50/50” from 2011 – relies on intimate beauty and sharp humor to fight for the poet’s art, identity and partner Megan Falley (also a poet) with optimism and power .
The well -being and sympathetic motifs promote a generous tone that can seriously inspire compassion from some less tolerant Americans. The couple’s commitment also increases Gibson’s public visibility as a singular voice at a difficult historical moment. (It is a troublesome reality of the so -called “cancer documentary” sub genre that the patient’s fate often acts as a dramatic question. In January 2025, it is worth knowing that Gibson is still fighting for cancer and often makes posts New work online.)
Although the poet prize winner was born in eastern Maine, Gibson has been an artistic part of Boulder, Colorado for more than two decades. The 49-year-old writer became fame as an artist with speech and words known for selling out rock clubs with his passionate but still available thoughts about gender, politics and society. Self -described by Gibson as “poetry you do not need a degree to understand”, the artist’s socially conscious, raw and vulnerable prose merged with their easily accessible androgyny for a person on stage that their partner is similar to a “gay james dean.”
Even when he fights against the neck from a side effect of chemotherapy, Gibson’s heartfelt birth evokes a sharp and enticing heat that reflects their ability to get in touch with the audience – whether it is about reciting poetry live at a theater or in conversation with whites Documentary lens. Suitably enough, the poet for the mostly unwritten project was proposed by the producer Tig NotaroWhich shows up briefly towards the end and boasts with a variety of free work in stand -up comedy.
“If I die, Meg will really need me to support her,” offers the sick Gibson in one of many bitter -wide pages aimed at White’s crew. Gibson and the 35-year-old Falley are an endless font of dark brilliant romance and comedy. They use laughter to endure oncological treatments, set plans and the ever -increasing weight of potential grief. The eloquent lovers invite the viewers to a recognizable queer relationship that is authentic, charming and sometimes silently devastating – if nothing else because you get the impression that Gibson and Falley are really and deeply in love.
A bright spot of safish representation in the latest documentary filmThe partnership that is depicted in “Come and see me in the good light” suggests how you live your privacy and love the people in it can be their own type of art form. Minor details (blink and you will miss a classic lesbian “U-Haul” moment) appear alongside daring shows of LGBTQ pride (prepare for a joke about fingering on tumor And, of course, the reveal that Gibson is close with an ex-girlfriend). It is a powerful snapshot that confirms some audience and subtly educating many others.
As much an exercise in empathy as it is part of life, “Come and see me in the good light” traces Falley’s winding journey as a terrified partner through painful push and pull. It is a related emotional arch regardless of your sexuality, and especially gripping when incorporating the two authors’ thoughtful essays, poems and discussions. At the same time, Gibson dissects their complex life experience in extended one-on-one interviews-and speaks for a long time about the irony in their trouble with depression Year before their ovarian cancer diagnosis in 2021. Gibson spends much of the film fighting to get back on stage, but the road to recovery turns out to be more complex than the award winner or Fally would wish.
Gibson withdraws from physical vanity and even refuses to correct strangers on their non-binary pronouns, and he retreats from identity for an ever-examining and transforming disease. The emotional change comes into focus through White’s expressive narrative setting. Although it is imperfect, the filmmaker’s presentation of Cancer’s various transformable qualities through Gibson’s creative heritage and inspiring life partnerships is effective. Enough to overcomes the documentary’s swollen length and sometimes inconsistent voltage. “Come and see me in the good light” mixes the kaleidoscopic themes for genderqueer poetry with the strenuous daily handling of a fatal disease – and makes the vulnerability of its well -chosen substances outstanding cinematic justice. Through this, White creates a sense of existential wonder and a movie bursting with hope for every kind.
Rating: B+
A Tripod Media and Amplify Pictures production, “Come see me in the good light” had a world premiere at Sundance Film festival on January 25. It is currently seeking distribution.
Want to keep you up to date on IndieWire’s movie Reviews And critical thoughts? Subscribe here To our newly launched newsletter, in review by David Ehrlich, where our chief film critic and chief review editor brings together the best new reviews and streaming elections together with some exclusive thoughts – all only available to subscribers.
