Dolan beautifully creates an incredibly personal & poignant, hopeful & contemplative movie which in its very essence captures the complexities of the normalcy of people's lives, regardless of their remarkablility, status or situation, illustrating how our mistakes can often act as a catalyst to inspire future generations to unburden themselves of the same insecurities. It's about authenticity, honesty, dignity & perseverance in the face of oppression, additionally acting as a wider criticism regarding the intolerance & prejudice present within the wider film industry.

This is a film which is unafraid to ask a LOT of questions & equally, is also bold enough to answer them with an impressive amount of potential original & refreshing statements - so I won't even speculate about all the possible discussions to be had as this review would surely transpire in to a passionately verbose theological seminar.

Undoubtedly, the pacing of the film is inconsistent & the story is messy but this merely reflects the untidiness of events as they unfold; things aren't pristine, nothing's perfect & instead of chasing the concept of faultlessnes, The Death & Life of John F. Donovan revels in its imperfections: the unapologetically campy cheesiness & the overly sentimental ponderous philosophical interactions. None hindered the viewing experience as it's so joyously confident & daring.