“It’s come back,” Susan tells her husband. She’s talking about her cancer. The quiet way she announces the news reflects a theme of this Australian drama: how we struggle to communicate openly and directly about our deepest emotions. Susan’s three daughters — her “little sparrows” — grieve for their mother in distinct ways. The narrative is broken up into their individual journeys, leading up to the family Christmas gathering, which Susan is determined to have without the cancer ruining it. The film jumps around so much that a theme emerges: Just as the characters don’t express themselves directly, the movie itself is going to communicate in fits and starts. The mother, predictably, gains in honesty as she approaches death. What’s not so predictable is how the film’s subdued color scheme changes in the final scene, with vibrant colors symbolizing the wisdom that’s been gained. The daughters may have lost their way, but Little Sparrows expresses hope that they’ll find renewed strength. (Australia | 88 mins) Read our story about this