Die My Love serves up a confronting, unflinching look at postnatal depression.  When we meet Grace (Lawrence) and Jackson (Pattinson), they’re a blissfully happy couple who have moved into the rural home of his late uncle and have one thing primarily on their mind – sex.  For those after feel-good entertainment, soak up this opening 15 minutes because it’s the only time we see these two with a hopeful, positive attitude.  It’s all downhill from there…

Grace gives birth to a baby boy and in the months that follow, their relationship sours.  Jackson’s work requires him to travel out of town and that leaves her home alone with a lack of purpose, a lack of direction.  Filmmaker Lynne Ramsay (We Need to Talk About Kevin) delves into the minutia of her monotonous days – from barking back at their noisy dog, to licking windows, to stretching her limbs, to mindlessly drinking alcohol.  It’s a reminder of the weird things we do at home when no one is watching.

At first, we could construe her actions as trivial boredom, but it becomes apparent her mentality is not as it should be.  Her emotions are shifting every few minutes and they’re hyper-exaggerated to the point of derangement.  Jackson is the exact opposite and by maintaining a stoic tone, you could ask if he’s only adding to Grace’s frustrated, bipolar-like nature.  She starts “acting out” in the company of others, including her mother-in-law (Spacek), and no one is sure how to react.  Viewers will feel similar as they try to size Grace up and understand why she is the way she is.

Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook) can be applauded for her lead turn as the troubled Grace.  Her actions create a sense of anxiety that imparts itself onto the audience.  It’s hard to watch at times.  It illustrates depression is not easy to explain and not easy to treat.  Robert Pattinson (The Batman) is more of a supporting player given Jackson is often away (Grace is the focus) but it’s still a noteworthy performance with the pair capturing the drama of a disintegrating relationship without relying on grandiose duologues.

Did I want a more though?  Yeah, probably.  I’m fine with the heavy tone but sought for a broader arc.  The observational-style approach adopted by director Ramsay becomes tiring.  I wanted to see Grace evolve in a more meaningful way, whether it be good or bad.  There’s a fleeting sequence where she is checked into a mental health facility but instead of using it as an opportunity to explore treatment options and understand her psyche, the screenplay quickly skips forward to her release.  Further, more needed to be made of LaKeith Stanfield’s character.

Likely to generate a range of opinions, particularly with regards to the climax, Die My Love is both interesting and elusive.