Almost all of us are aware of what Mother’s Day is. However, many of you may not know about Mothering Sunday. It is the British version of the American holiday.
Although the essence of the day is the same, the date isn’t. We celebrate Mother’s Day in the spring of May to celebrate life. But Mothering Sunday is celebrated during the dampening month of March.
However, the Mothering Sunday that we will be discussing today is a 2021 film. Below are the details if you’re struggling to decide whether to watch this movie.
Background Of The Movie
This period drama is situated in the 20th century and revolves around the theme of grief. The production team includes famous entities such as Alice Birch as the screenwriter and Eva Husson as the director. One of the attractive features of the film is the cast which stars Odessa Young and Josh O’ Connor in the leading roles.
Detailed Review
The film is set around three stages of Jane’s life who works as a maid for the Niven family when the movie starts. The family is one of the three grief-stricken families who are friends. Although the film has pretty scenery, it is a slow burn that will surely make you gloomy.
The first stage follows Jane’s holiday on Mothering Sunday. She spends her day having an affair with the next-door neighbor, Paul, who is the only surviving child amongst the trio of wealthy families. A scene that initially seems to be sensual captures the feeling of ache.
For Paul, the aching emotion roots in the guilt of surviving and returning home. However, for Jane, the feeling is manifested from her lover being betrothed to someone else. This day was supposed to be the first stage that led to changes in Jane’s life.
The interesting thing is that the writer seems to be more concerned about this stage only. Instead of forming a clear connection between the different timelines, the plot is covered haphazardly. The cinematic shots may be impeccable, but the plotlines can confuse you.
Above all, the supposedly sensual movie focuses more on grief and mourning. For Jane, Mothering Sunday was all about having one last day with her lover. But for the families, it was all about gathering for a picnic and mourning their dead sons.
It is evident that the writer focused so much on grief that it overshadowed many moments in the film. In the later stages, we also see Jane using her heartache to becoming an exceptional writer.
All in all, the film has a great cast and includes stellar performances. The direction was extraordinary and captured the essence of emotions throughout the movie. However, there is one thing that Mothering Sunday lacks.
We expected there to be a moment of jolt which would take out the film from the melancholy. Sadly, we didn’t get to see a single scene that would negate the effect of the sadness. Nonetheless, the film is admirable and can keep you hooked if you’re in to watch something sad.