‘Much Ado About Dying’ Proves To Be a Life-Affirming Documentary

Rarely has a movie captured frustration and joy with as much integrity as Simon Chambers’s new documentary, “Much Ado About Dying.” This is especially the case toward the end of the film, when we are witness to an individual’s last moments on earth — only to discover, rather abruptly, that he had more moments forthcoming. The song to which this miraculous scene is keyed? “You Sexy Thing,” by a 1970s British soul group, Hot Chocolate.The refrain, you’ll remember, is, “I believe in miracles” — to which David Newlyn Gale, a former actor, shimmies enthusiastically from the confines of his not-so-death bed. That the reaffirmation of life should occasion joy should be obvious, but how could this transition be considered frustrating? Anyone who has been tasked with taking care of a sick and elderly relative should be able to intuit the answer. A dignified death can, in some cases, be a welcome event.Prior to Gale’s surprising return to life, Mr. Chambers had prepared for the worst. Uncle Charlie had been suffering from a severe urinary tract infection for which he refused treatment. This condition prompted erratic behavior on the old man’s part — as Mr. Chambers relates, “It was like being drunk on your own pee” — and death was but a few days away. Upon arriving at home, Mr. Chambers broke down and cried, which, he said, was something he never does.Uncle Charlie’s near-miss with the almighty occurred four years into his time under his nephew’s care. Having previously left London to start life afresh, Mr. Chambers traveled to India hoping to make a documentary about the world’s second-largest country and its citizens going all-in on gas-powered automobiles during this time of climate crisis. As we watch Mr. Chambers filming from the back seat of an ambulance at traffic-congested Delhi, he receives a phone call. It’s Uncle Charlie: “I think I may be dying.”Uncle Charlie is adamant that his nephew return to London. Mr. Chambers asks why it is that his sisters can’t stop by to help. They’re no good, Charlie tells him, being “far too bossy.” Given that his cinematic endeavors are leaving him cold — “I felt disconnected from the people” of Delhi — Mr. Chambers packs his bags, camera in tow, and heads to his uncle’s home. It’s an apartment in an alarming state of disrepair, strewn with garbage and peppered with a bevy of conspicuously unsafe space heaters.David Newlyn Gale and the Barn-ettes in ‘Much Ado About Dying.’ Via Solisiu FilmsThe place is a mess and so, too, is Uncle Charlie — at least, physically. Mentally, he is alert and lively, if not always capable of making sensible decisions. These characteristics are less indicative of the cognitive failings that can accrue with age than markers of a singular temperament. Yes, Uncle Charlie falls within the grand tradition of English eccentrics, being a sharp wit with an impressive command of Shakespeare and possessed of an uncanny knack for coming up with the right quip for the right occasion. He’s also the most stubborn of men and, when the mood suits him, the most compliant. Prior to Mr. Chambers’s arrival, Uncle Charlie had been under the care of a Polish couple next door, Zibby and Beata, as well as an on-again, off-again young man by the name of Rodrigo, the latter of whom proves capable of deceit and, it seems, thievery. Significant sums of Uncle Charlie’s money have gone missing, and Instagram tells us that a supposedly destitute Rodrigo is traveling the world. We’re left to wonder just how good a judge of character Uncle Charlie might be.Also, we’re left to wonder if the reason Uncle Charlie insisted on Mr. Chambers’s assistance is their shared homosexuality. The director is equivocal about relationships — at one point, Mr. Chambers claims that he’s returned to the closet — and Uncle Charlie, as you might expect from someone belonging to a different generation, is more circumspect about his longings. He’s certainly not mum about life and its many contradictions. Death, he says, is “like going on a wonderful holiday without the bother of having to pack.” Not-so-spoiler alert: May David Newlyn Gale now rest in peace. As for Mr. Chambers, he has given us a life-affirming film of daunting emotional gamut. “Much Ado About Dying” is worth your ado.

‘Much Ado About Dying’ Proves To Be a Life-Affirming Documentary

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