Ruminate

To ruminate means to think; to chew thoughts over and over, focusing on symptoms of distress, their causes and consequences. Gemma is in her mid-thirties; a childless woman, casually dating, living in the big city of London, primarily concentrating on work and survival. The years have slipped by and the things that have fallen into place for her friends still elude her. We follow her over two days, never hearing her speak. Instead we witness a series of events that question her happiness, culminating with her gynecologist revealing she has cancerous cells that could affect her ability to bear children. The film shows, not tells, an uncomplicated, poignant and beautiful story about age, being human, a woman, neither a victim nor a victor, and the realization that time waits for no one.

Directed by Claire Leona Apps, Ruminate leans on a strong ensemble — Rebecca Hall, Chandru Bhojwani, Lucy Eaton — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 2014.