In her feature film directorial debut, Kelly Walker frames the opening scene so that viewers realise that Jane’s (Jeanette Maus) life is about to be horrifically and irrevocably turned upside down before Jane realises it herself. This choice establishes an almost painful emotional connection with an extraordinarily difficult protagonist even before the title card plays.

My Fiona grapples with the fallout of Jane’s titular best friend’s suicide and the challenges of carving out new lives and loves in the shadow of immense loss. To complicate and confuse matters further for Jane, she cannot tell if the feelings she develops for Fiona’s widow Gemma (Corbin Reid) are purely a result of their shared loss or a new revelation about her sexuality. The situation grows exponentially – often excruciatingly – messy, but Walker largely keeps the situations believable, using tonal whiplash and the darkest humour as a tool to convey Jane’s inner state. Hers is a confident directorial voice, and her next feature should be eagerly anticipated.

Maus is all sharp edges and explosions, allowing Jane’s emotions to send her spiralling with little physical or verbal control while keeping in touch with the deep hurt and confusion underlying each outburst. She wounds herself and others in equal measure yet never loses the self-awareness that makes her growth so tangibly real. As Gemma, Reid plays straight against this energy, letting Jane’s outbursts and her own (more functional) mourning break across each new scenario and develop into new revelations.

My Fiona takes an unflinching look at what it means to be okay – and when it is healthier and more honest to not be okay. The film occasionally stumbles as it tries to cover immense emotional ground in under ninety minutes, but it ultimately proves a kind-hearted look at the ugly, uncomfortable routes through mourning and self-discovery.

RATING: 4/5

INFORMATION

CAST: Jeanette Maus, Corbin Reid, Sara Amini

DIRECTOR: Kelly Walker

WRITER: Kelly Walker

SYNOPSIS: After witnessing the suicide of her best friend, Jane finds herself growing close to her friend’s widow and family.