The story centers around Sandra (Imelda Staunton), a middle class retiree who discovers her husband has been cheating on her with her best friend. With nowhere else to go she turns to her bohemian sister, Bif (Celia Imrie), who lives in an impoverished council estate flat.
As the title suggests we follow Sandra'a journey back to being a fully functioning individual.
To be honest the trailer for this had me expecting more of a comedy than this film actually is, and I expected Joanna Lumley to feature much more throughout.
That said, the film does have some exceptionally funny moments but also dives quite a bit deeper into the lives of the movie's three main characters - Timothy Spall being the third as Charlie.
The remaining cast are mostly there to support or progress the central three characters stories.
For the most part I enjoyed Finding Your Feet. It's a strong, character driven piece, with characters that feel real enough that you can identify with them on some level. Everyone delivers great performances with what they were given, though no one was particularly stretched with the material.
I would have liked to have seen more of Joanna Lumley in a bigger role. Her character, Jackie, didn't really have a lot to contribute to the story as a whole.
There's also a point in the film where clearly there's been a bit of a jump forward in time but we don't even get a montage to suggest time is passing. It's a little jarring but doesn't really matter in terms of affecting the plot.
Aside from those minor issues, it's a good story told well. Funny, poignant, and, ultimately, leaves you in a good place.
A great example for anyone reaching retirement with the thinking that their life is what it is with no room to be reinvigorated with new experiences.
It makes a change for you to be seeing an 'ordinary' movie instead of the Super Heroes or Sci-Fi. It'll make a change for Kathy. I'm glad you reviewed it as I was wondering what it was like.
ReplyDeleteSounds pretty good, and the actors are all people I know and like. No-one mentioned how Timothy Spall seems to have lost quite a bit of weight! He always was just a bit 'tubby' but not fat. You can see he's lost weight by his face too. Did you notice this? Don't know if it was intentional or perhaps he's been ill. He did need to lose a bit.
Lesley and I did go to see 'Paddington 2' as we saw the first one, so I wanted to see the second, as the first was quite good. Don't think I'd mentioned it or put a review on. The second one was as good as the first if not a bit far-fetched for some of the adventures, but you have to expect that in those sorts of films, and they can be got away with nicely, as I expect they do in the sci-fi etc.
Lesley wants to see the Peter Rabbit now which she thought I might like to see with seeing Paddington, but I'm not really bothered. Seen the revues on the TV. I said If I had some children to take, I would, as I was bit more familiar with Paddington with the UK connection, even though he came out on the screen before I left for Oz. I told here I wanted to see this one, but couldn't remember the full title, but then she knew the one I meant. Don't know if she's keen. I think I'll go and see it though, might persuade her.
Finding Your Feet is a good film. Not particularly memorable but you'll likely enjoy it all the same.
DeleteI haven't seen Timothy Spall in enough things recently to really notice he's lost weight. I just know I've seen him in other films etc.
I do watch plenty of non-superhero movies but tend to see all the superhero films in the cinema because they're just more fun to watch on a big screen. Movies like Finding Your Feet don't really need a big screen to get the same enjoyment from them.
I saw Paddington 1 on Netflix. It was an okay film but I wasn't overly impressed with Nicole Kidman's character motivations. Seemed like they just took the storyline for 101 Dalmatians and tacked it onto a Paddington story. Will probably wait for Paddington 2 on Netflix.
The Peter Rabbit movie looks good in terms of animation of all the characters but the story sounds awful and a far cry from anything you'd read in books. I know they probably wanted to go bigger for a movie but it feels like they've completely lost the charm of the characters just based on the trailer.
I don't know the storyline for Peter Rabbit. Did they say this was based on the Beatrix Potter character? Nothing like Watership Downs is it, which I never saw either or knew the story, but apparently that wasn't a children's film. This Peter Rabbit is supposed to be a family film isn't it? Can't have anything too awful if it is. I thought you'd like that for the animation side.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a big fan of Nichole Kidman, infact, I don't think I knew she was in the first one, or if I did, I didn't recognise which was her. It was only when Lesley told me which one was her (the taxidermist) that I realised! I think she had a black wig on. I couldn't not see the second one seeing as I'd seen the first. Paddington wasn't out in UK when I was there, and didn't come to Oz in time for your childhood and Lesley and Carl's as I remember, or you'd have been taken to see the films.
Timothy Spall was in that film where the fairytale characters came up out of the manhole in the road and the woman changed into that big blue dragon. I've forgotten the name of the film now, but we went with you and Kath to see it one of your trips over. There was that computer made chipmonk I think it was in it. Think it was him in that. You may remember him from that series 'The Street' that I bought you. He was in about three episodes of that with three stories, and appeared briefly in other scene stories. (there's probably a picture of him on one of the DVDs, as I remember. I noticed straightaway, as you don't forget a face like his and his brilliant acting in a hurry!
I don't get notified for these replies, I have to save your blog in my Inbox so I can click on the title to see if there is a comment. Is there something you can do so that notifications are sent? I've mentioned this before, but a long time ago. I don't know if you get notified about my replies?
ReplyDeleteI get notified of all comments because it's my blog. There's nothing I can do to ensure you get notified. All I can say is make sure the 'Notify me' box at the bottom of the reply box is ticked before publishing your replies - and make sure the email address you have listed with your blogger/Google+ profile is current. (should tell you what email address the notifications are going to when you add a tick in the Notify me box). Also make sure any notification emails are not going into your spam folder too.
DeleteI'll just give it a test. I've not really noticed the Notify me box before. Don't know what email is listed with my profile, but it would have been my regular one. Don't know what I've got listed with Google.
ReplyDeleteThere is a tick now at the Notify me now that I've posted it, but nothing happened when I pointed my cursor at it before. Perhaps it will do it as I've never pointed at that before. I'll let you know. It's got Googlw at the side of my Mum60 in the drop-down box. I don't sign out though. I'd have to remember my password if I did, but don't remember using one for this unless it's the same as the Family one.
ReplyDeleteThere's a little box appeared now at the side of the Notify me and I ticked it even though I wasn't going to put anything else. Don't know if that applies, as there was no box at the side before.
ReplyDeleteIt's just sent me two emails to say I've sent you a comment. Is this supposed to happen? Should be to say that you've left me a comment.
ReplyDeleteThe system just emails you a notification regardless of who leaves a comment. I'll get an email notification for this reply to your comment. It's not ideal, the system just doesn't seem to check on who's actually leaving a comment.
DeleteOh, I see. I never got one from you before, but that must be because it wasn't ticked. Have to either put up with that or go back to just leaving your topic in my Inbox and clicking on the title. Must be confusing for anyone else on the times that they leave a comment, but maybe they might not see the tick.
ReplyDelete