For audiences who are not aware of the film’s title, Mothering Sunday is what people in the United Kingdom called Mother’s Day. The romantic drama was directed by French filmmaker Eva Husson who was clearly inspired by Downton Abby. This film is not exactly the kind of film you think of when you think about Mother’s Day. This is also like a traditional episode of Downton Abby, it’s more risque than full-on sex scenes and other elements. Husson’s film explores the tenderness of love along with the grief of a portrait of an artist. The film had its world premiere at the legendary Cannes Film Festival in 2021 and went on to be screened at numerous film festivals including the Toronto Film Festival, Chicago Film Festival, London Film Festival, and the Hamptons International Film Festival.
The film is based on the adored 2016 novel by Graham Swift and since I did not read the book I wasn’t sure what I was about to get myself into. Just like the novel, the film opens on a beautiful spring day in 1924. Families and friends are suffering and struggling with the loss of the many young men who were killed or severely injured due to the aftermath of World War I as this particular day is Mothering Sunday. The film follows a natural-born gifted writer and housemaid Jane Fairchild (Odessa Young) through distinct periods during her life. Jane is a housemaid to Mr. and Mrs. Niven (Colin Firth and Olivia Colman). Jane is secretly having an affair with the handsomely and charming Paul Sheringham (Josh O’Connor) while the other half of the film explores her relationship with Donald (Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù) who she is married to. She’s in the mix of writing a book about her experience with Paul which she never revealed to her husband.
Mothering Sunday is a slow-moving film that was adapted for the screen by Alice Birch who is most popular for her work on major television shows. Succession and Normal People are just two of some of the greatest shows to ever hit television. In Mothering Sunday most of the dialogue flows sounding like poetry. Also, O’Connor, Young, and Dìrísù come off as very soft-spoken characters.
Young gives a performance that is mesmerizing as she has been a star on the rise for the last few years appearing in Assassination Nation (2018), Shirley (2020), and most recently the miniseries The Stand (2020). O’Connor is wildly popular and known for starring in season three of The Crown (2019) as Charles, Prince of Wales, and later reprised his role in season four.
Young and O’Connor have a strong romantic and enticing chemistry that continues throughout the film each time they appear on the screen. Each time Young and Dìrísù appear on-screen their chemistry is not nearly as powerful as Young’s love story with O’Connor.
Most of the sparks and excitement between them fizzle out.
It is, however, a cinematic treat to see Firth and Colman together, but their characters do not leave a lasting impact in the film.
The film only does half the job of getting inside Young’s character as an artist but gives little insight as she writes her novel. Due to Young’s delivery, she gives a performance sure to keep audiences interested in her character. Husson does an extraordinary job with the production and cinematography but also makes the film stand out with Sandy Powell’s costume design. Powell is a three-time Academy Award winner who creates gorgeous and beautiful gowns.
Husson’s film falls slightly short of making a great film as it has all the safe checkmarks that make it a worthy watch, it’s just a good film.
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I give this film a 7 out of 10
