The Possibilities Are Endless

In 2005, former Orange Juice frontman and solo singer/producer Edwyn Collins suffered two cerebral haemorrhages that effectively wiped his memory and left him a shadow of his former self. Edward Lovelace and James Hall's artfully shot documentary intimately charts his gradual recovery and steps back into making music, helped all the way by Grace Maxwell - his wife, manager and soulmate. The directors make dramatic use of the seascapes of Collins's cherished Helmsdale on the Scottish coast to suggest his coma-bound helplessness. And a reality-blurring sequence featuring two flirting teenagers is a teasing device to allow Maxwell to reminisce about the couple's own courtship. But, crucially, the film gives Collins the opportunity to tell his own story, in his own words and at his own pace, and it becomes clear that he is neither bitter nor cynical about his life-altering experience. Maxwell admits she occasionally misses the man he once was, and it's difficult not to feel the same pang during the archive footage selections. But this sensitive portrait builds towards an uplifting conclusion, where, despite his tremendous setback, Collins is seen moving ever forward - albeit less sure-footed than before - and with definite purpose.