Rent Mothering Sunday (2021)

Interesting Period Drama - But slow! - Mothering Sunday review by GI

A lovely looking semi period drama that, even for someone like me that quite likes slow cinema, has an ennui that tests your patience. The languid nature of the film is such that the powerful emotions at play get lost. Set between the World Wars where the middle class rich are struggling with the huge loss of their sons on the battlefields of France. The story follows Jane (Odessa Young), a maid to the Nivens (Colin Firth and Olivia Colman) who are struggling with grief as their sons have not returned from the war. Mr Niven tries to be eternally kind while Mrs Niven seethes with anger. Jane is having an affair with the only surviving son of their neighbour who is about to be married. Paul (Josh O'Connor) is only too aware of the pressure of being the only survivor of the war from his family and finds solace in the arms of Jane, albeit they both know it's temporary. The film has a flashback structure that slows the pace so much that the film seems to lose its way. O'Connor gives another passionate lover performance that he does so well, perhaps we need to see him in something more challenging. Young too is highly watchable has manages the challenging, extended scene of wandering naked around Paul's big country house with aplomb. Olivia Colman offers the only moment to wake you up when she loses control and rages during a lunch party. With Glenda Jackson cameoing as the older Jane this film has a lot to admire but it needed a jolt of something to bring it alive and make it more entertaining.

Imagine the plot - Mothering Sunday review by RD

This is a very attractively filmed period drama set around 1924, but spoilt by an overload of flash-backs and flash-forwards that could induce serious temporal whiplash.

This is coupled with a very loose script that left this viewer constantly trying to make up the story from vague hints as the film unfolds.

There are hints of this, hints of that, and scenes that appear important, but not with enough actual content to indicate the story it is supposed to be describing. For instance Mrs Niven (Olivia Coleman) is positively bursting with grief for nearly all the film, but we're only treated to a smidgen of a hint of what may be the cause in what could be a very moving climax scene if we could only be sure if we're guessing the reasons right!

The story ambles along with a series of isolated scenes throughout the film, each one involving the viewer in the same way (i.e. what on earth is happening here?) but the absence of any continuous storyline leaves one just admiring the scenery and fabulous interiors of the houses and hoping that it becomes clearer later on.

It does become clearer towards the end, but only after a lot of time wasted with a feeble and hollow story during most of the film, and at a point where this viewer could no longer care.

A really nice stroll through a life fully lived - Mothering Sunday review by giantrolo

This was a rather endearing, meandering tale that took you through one person's life - from being in service to breaking away to work in a bookshop, getting married, and turning into an award-winning author! It was a nicely shot film with some great performances from the cast, although it did drag a little in parts and leaped back and forward in time a lot. Altogether a good film, though, and would recommend!