McElwee’s films share a trenchant focus on family combined with a consistent attachment to the element of surprise. This film begins with marriage, continues with the unexpected death of the filmmaker’s father, and ends with the birth of a son. As such, it’s a powerful chronicle of the filmmaker’s encounter with the most universal cycles of life. Though cycles imply a kind of consistency and universality, the film makes it clear that each of us experience life’s moments with utter individuality and in a completely unique temporality. The tension between the unending cycles of life and the finite time of a film result in a nuanced film, charged with unexpected humor and the most profound human effect.