A father and his daughter journey through the outskirts of society a decade after a pandemic has wiped out half the world’s population. As a father struggles to protect his child, their bond, and the character of humanity is tested.
“Light of My Life” is a film that I thought had been played out before. A virus hits the populous, many people die and you are brought into the story about those left to survive and rebuild. While this story is similar to that, it also has elements that make it unique. The drama was written and directed by Casey Affleck who also stars in the film as the father of a young girl, one of the only females left in the world after the plague has run its course. The girl, Rag, is played by Anna Pniowsky and both her and Affleck give incredible performances.
The film, in the hands of an average writer or director, would rely more on the world that the characters are in. It would rely on horror or suspense to drive the movie home but where “Light of My Life” shines is in the character development. The drama is secondary here and it serves to drive the two characters towards their arc. This is the story of a caring father who is trying to connect with his daughter in a less-than-perfect world. This is the story of a daughter trying to find her identity in a society that has boiled women down to a means for reproduction. This story wouldn’t need a virus or monsters because our current world has monsters in it already, walking the streets just as you do. Surprisingly, the monsters in this film are human.
Every suspenseful encounter that brings danger involves random men who are looking to take the girl from her father. I found the connections between modern society and this distorted one were very similar and I appreciated that. “Light of My Life” is an excellent movie and tells the tale of family as well as any film could.
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