Mothering Sunday

Ten second review: Seemingly finding a balance between delicate and in your face, Mothering Sunday is an enjoyable watch but leaves you wanting just a little more from it.

I do think I have a habit of preferencing “fun” films. It’s not necessarily on purpose, I think it just comes from wanting escape at the end of a day at work rather than reality. Often a Hobbes and Shaw has more appeal in numbing me from my day than a Nomadland. There is a key misunderstanding in this, in that escape can take many forms beyond excitement and numbing. 

Focusing on maid turned writer, Jane Fairchild, this based-on-a-book film tells her story of becoming a writer three times over. With a tale of lust and a tale of love, we see a development told in a non-linear style that emphasises how memories make us.

I’ll be frank, this is not a film that those who know me would likely suggest for me and yet, I found myself really enjoying it. The problem is that I can’t quite put my finger on why, but I’ll try to unpack it for myself as much as the reader of this.

While I might make an exception for Josh O’Connor who felt as though he was trotting out his Prince Charles again, the acting throughout was brilliant. To be fair to O’Connor, there was nothing wrong with his acting, in fact he was great, I just felt as though it was too similar to his Charles to really break free of the label. The ensembles characterisations were excellent though. Odessa Young in particular really balanced the subtleties of innocence, vulnerability, control and assuredness. She was a joy to watch and carried the character in such an enticing and convincing way.

The cinematography too was on the whole beautiful. There were moments that may as well have gallery images; just exquisite construction that made you want to pause and indulge. Even in its more content filled moments, there feels a level of calmness and serenity that relaxed me, melting me in to each shot. I think in time I would watch it again for this alone.

The film is not without gripes. I feel a touch more time fleshing out Jane’s relationship with Colin Firth’s character would have both drawn him into the story more but also built a more fulfilling narrative. You feel ever so slightly that there is something missing from the story, and this might be a place that it could have been fleshed out. Just a scene or two developing their employer/employee father figure friendship. I also understand that this film is based on a good so it might actually have more depth or a reason for its briefness that I don’t fully appreciate here.

As a film to close out my hectic week, Mothering Sunday was admittedly not my first choice, but it may well have been the best choice. I need to do better in recognising that there are other ways to decompress and relax at the cinema outside of “fun” films. Well made, intriguing and engaging is escapist and relaxing, just in a different way.