Never Steady, Never Still film review – An impressive performance from seasoned actors

Set in a wintry British Columbia this is a real heartbreaker in which moments of happiness are cherished for their rarity.

Henderson plays Judy, a woman who has suffered from Parkinson’s for the majority of her marriage to Ed (Nicholas Campbell) so she is stricken with tremors and at the mercy of a body she cannot control.

But Judy is determined to make the most of her life and remain a person rather than a victim.

Her struggles are contrasted with those of her teenage son Jamie (Théodore Pellerin) who drifts through life, unsure of his desires or his responsibilities.

Encouraged to take a job in the oil fields of Alberta he is far away and confronting a bruising, macho workplace at a time when his mother needs him the most.

A melancholy family drama in which Shirley Henderson delicately captures the warm heart and fortitude of her utterly believable character.