The film immediately establishes its oddball feel with an opening scene showing Björk and Catherine Deneuve participating in a home-style rehearsal of "The Sound of Music." The story centers on Selma, a Czech immigrant living in the United States who is experiencing progressive blindness, a condition she has also passed down to her son. Knowing he still has time for corrective surgery, she diligently works at a tool assembly plant and saves every penny possible. She maintains a small circle of friends—primarily Kathy (Deneuve) and Jeff (Peter Stormare)—who hope to deepen their connection with her, despite her consistently reserved nature. It seems she might have been able to achieve what she wanted if not for a violent confrontation with Bill (David Morse), which leads to a criminal trial. We already know how things unfolded, and I’m sure most viewers would be yelling out the best approach from their seats, but will Selma take advice? The reason for her behavior is that when faced with difficulty, she retreats into imagining the situation as part of a musical theater production—and naturally, those upbeat songs and perfectly planned dance numbers always guarantee a happy resolution. What are the odds here, though? Beyond her singing ability, Björk portrays a character who embodies both assurance and fragility. Selma is introverted but also sociable; she’s driven to ensure her son receives treatment, yet still allows herself to fantasize about being “Maria” (like Julie Andrews). The shaky, handheld camera work felt disruptive, and there's an unusual coldness to the film's visual style—despite Catherine Deneuve’s underutilized contributions. I also couldn’t quite figure out why the disagreement with Bill escalated as it did, but I still grew invested in this woman and her fate as her failing eyesight appeared to represent something deeper, something rather melancholy. It unfolds at a deliberate pace, but there's some humor woven into this often-somber exploration of human strength and perseverance, along with a depiction of 1960s small-town America. Maybe singing “My Favourite Things” actually does help?

Source on TMDB