Mothering Sunday
classified 15Please note: This was screened in Nov 2021
In this beautiful, sensual adaptation of Graham Swift’s novel a maid living in post-World War I England secretly plans to meet with the man she loves before he leaves to marry another woman.
Jane (Odessa Young) works as a maid for the Nivens (Colin Firth and Olivia Colman), one of several local ‘grand’ families who have been devastated by the loss of sons in the First World War. Jane is having a secret affair with Paul (Josh O’Connor), son of the Nivens’ neighbours, and they plan to meet for the last time before he leaves to marry the daughter of one of the local families of note. It’s the final moment, though she doesn’t realise it, before changes in her own life are set in motion forever…
Director Eva Husson brings a vibrant physicality to the period setting, creating a tangible intimacy and sense of place – of bodies, overripe flowers, but also typewriter keys and old books in libraries. Robed in Sandy Powell’s gorgeous costumes, this is a story of grief, responsibility, and hidden love that is not to be missed.