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http://www.spoilerfreemoviesleuth.com -  Prolific character-actor/part-time writer-director Harry Macqueen first burst onto the indie drama scene with his 2014 road trip tale of longstanding friendship Hinterland.  Roughly six years later, Macqueen returns to the director’s chair with another road movie of a different sort.  The aptly named Supernova (not to be confused with a really bad 2000 sci-fi/horror film of the same name) presents Same (Colin Firth) and Tusker (Stanley Tucci), a middle aged gay couple on a cross country trip across England to the Lake District to reunite with friends and family.  Initially a talky but sweet road picture, the film shifts gears when it becomes apparent Tusker is diagnosed with early onset dementia, forcing the couple to come to grips with the gravity of their situation and what it means for both people.   A quiet, modestly sized scenic English travelogue as dramatic tearjerker, Supernova is at once joyous and heart wrenching as the two leads face their own mortality and what it means to face the world alone.  While fully written and directed by Macqueen, the strength of the piece lies with the performances which are emotionally rich without the actors overplaying their roles and the dramatic arcs feeling genuine rather than forced.  Firth has always been a fine British actor and here he has some rough emotions to grapple with onscreen.  Tucci makes the dementia suffering partner at once funny and full of life before the encroaching disorder slowly crushes his spirit.    While not necessarily a plot driven venture, the reality of these two characters trying to squeeze out whatever joy they have from one another’s companionship as the clock continues to tick is despairingly sad to see but both actors bring their ordeal so much life you’re caught up with them anyway.  Unlike the recently released Let Him Go which started out as a travelogue before devolving into a violent thriller, Supernova proceeds at a leisurely pace towards a conclusion we expect but also feels true rather than contrived.  A tender film full of heart and yearning, Supernova deals with the prospect of dementia realistically without becoming punishing and above all is a testament to how far someone else will go for a loved one.--Andrew Kotwicki  (function() { var zergnet = document.createElement('script'); zergnet.type = 'text/javascript'; zergnet.async = true; zergnet.src = (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https:" : "http:") + '//www.zergnet.com/zerg.js?id=59239'; var znscr = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; znscr.parentNode.insertBefore(zergnet, znscr); })();