Mothering Sunday (I) (2021) User Reviews

Mothering Sunday

[henry8-3 · 7/10 · 18 June 2022]

A young house maid (Odessa Young) to The Nivens (Colin Firth/ Olivia Coleman) visits her lover (Josh O'Connor) for the last time, whilst The Nivens visit the neighbours to celebrate the forthcoming marriage of their son, O'Connor, who obviously is otherwise engaged.

A film you need real patience for, as the bulk of the run time is taken up with a fairly straightforward tale of young lovers within the English upper classes - Upstairs, Downstairs if you will - and gently and nicely done it is.

It is worth waiting though, for quite a long way in, things develop dramatically that you probably won't expect, affecting the young couple, The Nivens and their neighbours which is handled magnificently. Odessa Young does a fine job holding all this together in the starring role, but support from Coleman and Firth is the high point, with a special treat with essentially just one scene featuring the great Glenda Jackson. Overall, slow to be sure, but ultimately cleverly written and rather moving.

A portrait of a naked servant in a library

[skycurb · 6/10 · 12 November 2021]

Leaving the cinema felt like leaving a tour of a beautiful gallery or museum. Satisfying but with very little feeling for people I saw in portraits.

Cinematography reminds me somewhat of Atonement. There are continued close ups of faces and body parts interjected by brief shots of words written on paper (as oposed to typewriter).

However, here it seems like the same shot is being recycled repetedly due to lack of ideas. Take a shot anytime a character inhales from their cigarette and see yourself get wasted before the middle of the movie. Another favorite angle is actressess' right cheek and breast jiggle.

I can't help thinking the whole story was built around the idea of filming a beautiful nude women walking around an old stately home while her lover burns in a car crash.

The relationship between the two main character showes lust and tenderness but not much else. Between rounds of sex he keeps telling her about his childhood, as she observes and ocassionaly shows off her storytelling gift. That's it. That's their relationship. Him reminiscing and her observing. So when she learns of his death, I as a viewer, felt like a a curious and despassionate observer of her reaction.

The story failed (or did not attempt) to make me feel more about the couple. In a way it gives her character a more satisfying ending than watching him marry another.

A Society Comprehensively Bereaved

[bob-the-movie-man · 7/10 · 18 November 2021]

The title "Mothering Sunday" might suggest that this would be a good one to take your ol' mum to see as 'a nice treat'. Which indeed you might like to do, as long as you set the expectations first! For this is a beautifully crafted, if flawed, story of life after the First World War. A movie that has less focus on those killed in battle and more on those left behind.

Positives:

• This movie looks stunning (cinematography by Jamie Ramsay), from the opening close-up shots of Odessa Young, through bucolic bike-riding in England's leafy lanes to the luscious love-making scenes. All perfectly staged and beautifully lit. You could take many of the stills from this movie and grace the walls of an art exhibition with them.

• Where has Odessa Young come from? The Sydney-born actress is just fabulous here, commanding a real presence for the camera. It's a brave performance too with sex and extensive full-frontal nudity. This includes a naked wander through the old house that might feel exploitative if the writer or director had been a man. (The ladies also get full-frontal views of Josh O'Connor which adds balance to the film. This is, frankly, so often lacking in films of this type).

• The rest of the acting from the ensemble cast is also top-notch. Colin Firth is just squirm-inducingly awful (in a great way) as Mr Niven, always tiptoeing around the tension in a very English way with platitudes about the weather. Olivia Colman is also magnificent: when is she not? I saw one user review on here saying that she "dialled in her performance" which I couldn't disagree with more. She's a living portrait of grief and anger. "You're so lucky", she says to Jane at one point, "to be so comprehensively bereaved at birth". The fact that she does virtually nothing with her face until a single dramatic explosion is the epitome of perfect acting, where 'less is more'.

• I liked the way that the film properly reflected the social damage of the war. We've been here before, with episodes of "Downton Abbey" for example, but the fact that this is set so many years after the conflict but that it was still so invasive gave me room for much thought.

• Complementing a strong female team behind the camera is composer Morgan Kibby with an interesting and engaging score.

Negatives:

• The events shown have a wraparound story showing Jane's later writing life, both in a mid-life relationship with philosopher Donald (Sope Dirisu) and her elderly life (where Jane is portrayed by Glenda Jackson). It is a genuine delight to see Ms Jackson on the screen again: astonishingly, according to IMDB, her last big-screen appearance was back in 1990! However, these structural elements of the story didn't work for me. Although I might be accused of 'not understanding what the writer was trying to do' (incorrect, I do), there is a case here, at least in the movie version, for a 'simple is good' approach. I think the underlying story set in 1924 was gripping and engaging enough not to require the complexity introduced by these later scenes. I'd have preferred a simpler 90-minute film focused on that story. (I've not read Graham Swift's book: perhaps this all works better as a novel?)
• Typecasting is a terrible thing, but Josh O'Connor has such a striking resemblance to Prince Charles that it's sometimes difficult not to think "Ooh, I've just seen the future king's bits"!

Summary Thoughts on "Mothering Sunday": It's the acting and the cinematography that sets this apart for me. Although it had its irritations, I found this to be a beautiful and engaging watch. The story is perhaps a tad predictable. But overall this is a nicely crafted and thought-provoking film that gets a thumbs up from me.

(For the full graphical review, check out #onemannsmovies online. Thanks.)

A lusty, deeply melancholy portrayal of loss and its lasting impact

[Sir_AmirSyarif · 6/10 · 4 October 2021]

Eva Husson's first English-language film, 'Mothering Sunday,' is a lusty, deeply melancholy portrayal of loss and its lasting impact that often feels disjointed and uneven. It's pretty to look at with impressive performances (and sizzling chemisty) from Odessa Young and Josh O'Connor but, unfortunately, doesn't offer much else.

What a shame, so slow, slow.

[petersooty · 6/10 · 18 November 2021]

Mothering Sunday. A lot of work has gone into this film in terms of congregating a good cast including a Olivia Coleman & Colin Firth. Some good acting and lovely cinematography, but unfortunately it was very, very slow. Trying to create an enigmatic and sultry atmosphere for a romantic love story but it just didn't come off.

The penny dropped that all the good romantic films watched in the past you 'bought in' to the characters and felt for them, urging them to succeed. Here I found we got to a point after 30 minutes where we couldn't care less about the two lovers or what happened to them. We weren't moved or brought to tears but felt complete apathy. Plus it was like an advert for cigarettes with so many smoked!

Beautifully Slow

[zorroaca · 7/10 · 5 January 2022]

Lots of earthy cinematography... very decent acting and an interesting story... a movie to just relax and ponder. The weaving of nude shots of Odessa Young are masterful... done with taste... while not taking over the story. A lot of character building in such a short time.

Firth and Colman Yes, the Rest...

[heywatchmego · 5/10 · 10 July 2023]

The scenery is incredible, as is the performances of Colin Firth and Olivia Colman.

The rest of the movie is incredibly disjointed, and because there is no actual emotion or feeling between the two main characters, Odessa Young and Josh O'Connor, it quickly became annoying. There is only so much cigarette smoking a person can watch before you realize, I suppose, this is the point where the viewer is supposed to be emotionally touched. The problem is, I wasn't. Ever.

This felt like going to a beautiful restaurant and waiting so long for your meal that by the time it's gets there you want to throw the plate on the floor.

Much of the movie is beyond belief, such as the maidservant (who, between the wars, works for the wealthy Niven family), wandering naked through a manor house, seemingly unconcerned that the owners may show up...for over an hour.

At every turn, I kept thinking, here it is, we must be getting to the point...but 'the point' simply never happened.

A waste of talent and scenery, however it is worth watching simply for the performances of Firth and Colman. They are outstanding.

Deliciously slow, modernist drama

[Woolfofthewood · 9/10 · 16 July 2022]

So this film is simply gorgeous.

It has a period feel but isn't stuffy. There are as many scenes without clothes as with them - and the actors are beautifully unselfconscious and believable.

The Nivens: an unfathomably brittle, broken and grieving mother (Olivia Coleman) and gentle, empty and lost father and husband (Colin Firth) are exquisitely cast and played - Firth visibly flinches in pain and empathy as Cole snaps at his continued efforts at politeness and generosity to friends. Their lack of sons is palpable in Firth's playing or Mr Niven's gentle paternal encouragement of all the young people they share their lives with (the maid and narrator included) and Cole's sharp silence.

The character of the narrator binds the temporal shifts together as we see how the events of one day can impact a whole life. Amazing acting from Odessa Young makes this film a joy to watch.

The only complaint is the slightly obvious addition of the narrator as an old woman (Glenda Jackson) - this trope is, no doubt, in the source material but could have been omitted as it only serves to make the structure a little cliched.

Otherwise a wonderful and sumptuous - and incredibly well acted - film which is well worth watching over and over again .

stages of life - and memories

[ferguson-6 · 6/10 · 7 April 2022]

Greetings again from the darkness. Every writer has a story about what inspired them to put words on the page. What we have here is Eva Husson directing a script from Alice Birch (LADY MACBETH, 2016) who has adapted the 2016 novella from British author Graham Swift. We follow Jane Fairchild through three stages, as her work as a maidservant allows her to become "an occupational observer of life." It's Mothers' Day 1924 and Jane (Odessa Young, SHIRLEY, 2020) is anticipating her latest romantic tryst with Paul Sheringham (Josh O'Connor, EMMA., 2020). Both know this is their final time together, and they take full advantage. Jane's employers, Godfrey and Clarrie Niven, are meeting Paul's parents for a celebratory luncheon with Emma (Emma D'Arcy), the 'proper' woman Paul is to marry. Oscar winner Colin Firth (THE KING'S SPEECH, 2010) and Oscar winner Oliva Colman (THE FAVOURITE, 2018) play the Nivens, and deaths from WWI hang over all of these families like the darkest of clouds.

The story is told in non-linear fashion, with Jane and Paul's final lovemaking session being that which all other events seem to revolve. We also spend some time with Jane in her 40's as she is living with her philosopher husband Donald (Sope Dirisu), and then in her 80's as she is celebrated as a renowned and prize-winning author. In this last stage, Jane is surprisingly played by the great Glenda Jackson, a two-time Oscar winner (A TOUCH OF CLASS, 1973, and WOMEN IN LOVE, 1969), who has only appeared in a handful of TV movies these past thirty years. Ms. Jackson turns 86 next month, and spent time as an elected member of Parliament. She's always been an interesting person, and it's terrific to see her back on the big screen - even if she only gets a couple of brief scenes followed by one substantial one near the end.

It's a beautiful film and it's sensuously photographed, though maybe a bit odd in that it focuses so diligently on the visuals (thanks to cinematographer Jamey D Ramsay), while actually following a woman's journey into writing. Love (or lack of it) and grief and life's transitions are all on display, as are the harsh realities of class differences. Ms. Young and Mr. O'Connor are both terrific, and though she has minimal screen time, we are stunned again at just how much emotion Ms. Colman can convey with her face.

Memories and recollections of "that day" play a crucial role as the mature Jane wrestles with writing her novel ... one that her publisher expects to be a thriller. Of course, we watch as Jane's story plays out, so we know where her writing is headed. The film has a vagueness to its storytelling that prevents us from ever fully engaging with Jane or any of the rich, sad people, yet it's such a beautiful film to look at that we never seem to mind.

In theaters on April 8, 2022.

Merchant Ivory it ain't

[roland-169 · 2/10 · 20 November 2021]

A country house love movie with a star studded cast lured me into the cinema. Yes, the country houses were there and still looking pretty good. So I really can't complain on on that score. But, the love part seemed to have got dropped because this film was utterly devoid of love. There was though some pretty gratuitous sex that happens in a country house and then a servant girl decides she will explore the house stark naked in soft porn fashion, which as we all know young working class women were prone to do just after the first world war. And we learn that one of the important things that distinguishes the aristocracy from the rest of us is that when they dress they put their shirt and vest on before their underpants.

As for Olivia Colman and Colin Firth they portray their boring characters to Oscar winning perfection. But so what - they are boring. Now if like me you were expecting the film to twist somewhere so that the servant girl actually take some action against the class system. Stand by to be disappointed.

Very disappointed.

Superbly crafted and beautifully cast movie about Grief and Loss

[tm-sheehan · 10/10 · 2 June 2022]

My Review- Mothering Sunday My Rating 10/10

I absolutely loved this movie it's beautifully filmed, superbly cast, skilfully Directed by Eva Hudson, who in my book joins the growing number of wonderful female directors .

The early 20th Century costumes by the incredibly gifted 15 time Oscar nominated and three time Oscar winner Sandy Powell are perfect .

She is a costume designer who excels in designing beautiful costumes for any period called for in a movie.

She has dressed such wonderful and diverse films as Carol, Cinderella , The Young Victoria , Hugo, Wolf of Wall Street , The Aviator, Shakespeare in Love The Favourite and Interview With the Vampire .

Mothering Sunday has a beautiful music score by Morgan Kibby that fits the elegiac and literary pace of this film perfectly .

If you like movies like the screen adaptation of Virginia Woolf's Mrs Dalloway (1997) ,or Christopher Hampton's screen adaption Ian McKeon's Atonement (2007) or David Hare's The Hours (2002) I think you'll enjoy Mothering Sunday.

All I'll say about the story is it's seen through the eyes of Jane Fairchild an author who begins the story with a direct passage from Graham Swift's novel of the same name -

"Once upon a time, before the boys were killed and when there were more horses than cars, before the male servants disappeared and they made do, at Upleigh and at Beechwood, with just a cook and a maid, the Sheringhams had owned not just four horses in their own stable, but what might be called a 'real horse', a racehorse, a thoroughbred. Its name was Fandango. It was stabled near Newbury. It had never won a damn thing. But is was the family's indulgence, their hope for fame and glory on the racecourses of southern England. The deal was that Pa and Ma - otherwise known in his strange language as 'the shower' - owned the head and body and he and Dick and Freddy had a leg each.

'What about the fourth leg?' 'Oh the fourth leg. That was always the question.

Graham Swift, Mothering Sunday

Set in 1924 on Mothering Sunday March 30th the story is basically about Grief and loss . The wealthy Niven family husband Godfrey played so gently in one of Colin Firth's most understated but effective performances and his sad depressed wife Clarrie is beautifully played by Olivia Coleman.

The Niven's loss of two sons in the 1st World War still haunts them especially Clarrie . They are obviously a well to do family no where near the Crawley family in Downtown Abbey but they do have a small staff that includes their maid Jane Fairchild impeccably played by Sydney born Australian actress Odessa Young . After seeing Odessa Young in this movie I must see her award winning performance in The Daughter(2015) Odessa is a young actress to watch.

On Mothering Sunday the servants have a day off while the Niven's attend a picnic at Henley with family friends. Jane receives a phone call from her lover, Paul Sheringham, inviting her to the Sheringham estate, Upleigh the home of her employers friends also at the picnic.

Paul Sherringham in the movie is played to perfection by Josh O'Connor who recently portrayed Prince Charles in the television series The Crown.

The sensuality in the scenes of the maid Jane Fairchild and Paul Sherringham the upper class young lawyer who is betrothed to a suitable but cold and indifferent young woman from a "good family" are quite explicit but beautifully filmed.

That's all no spoilers there are so many character subplots in Mothering Sunday Glenda Jackson has a wonderful short but vital cameo appearance in Mothering Sunday as the older acclaimed author Jane Fairchild .

Much older now of course at 86 years old she hasn't lost the amazing ability to say everything needed in a movie without uttering a word.

As you can gather I adore this movie I haven't read the novel which apparently is set on one single day on March 30, 1924 Mothering Sunday in the movie adaptation I think it was necessary to span the decades that the elderly Jane sums up in conclusion as " being very beautiful." and that sums this movie for me.

An Elegiac Tone

[drednm · 28 December 2021]

I wanted to like this film but it strikes me as an empty book, an idea abut time but with no place to go.

Main story set in 1924 sees the country gentry still reeling from the slaughter of World War I Several families maintain the tradition of a picnic by the river on Mother's Day and recall the times when the children played and swam in the river. They're all dead now except for the youngest (Josh O'Connor), who's about to marry one of the daughters who was engaged to one of the boys now dead.

A maid in the house named Jane (Odessa Young), an orphan who's been "in service" since she was 14, is having a secret affair with the boy and meets with him one last time before he goes to the party to announce his engagement to the young woman.

The lady of the house (Olivia Colman) tells the maid she's lucky to have been an orphan. She can observe life without having to deal with the deaths of loved ones.

Jane eventually leaves the house and goes to work in a bookstore where she meets a philosopher and becomes his lover (there's talk of marriage). We also see Jane as an old woman (Glenda Jackson) who has indeed lived most of her life as an observer and as a famous writer.

Jane's life after she leaves the country house is sketchy and the viewer will likely feel cheated. We're not told very much ... yet the film runs for 104 minutes.

Jane strikes me as a character out of time and place. Would an uneducated house maid in 1924 be this self- possessed and confidant? Were interracial marriages possible in England in the 1930s and 40s? What kinds of books did Jane write? No details.

Young is good and O'Connor is better. Colman and Jackson combined have about 10 minutes of screen time. Colin Firth plays the "lord of the manor," but no one else registers.

There's a reference to Virginia Woolf's "Orando" and I guess that's meant to be a clue. Jane is a character out of time. Time is fluid and has no temporal barriers.

The bareness of a great metaphor

[tenzinolivia · 7/10 · 13 April 2023]

Mothering Sunday is a fine and sensitive movie, that moves on the fine lines between deep, transcendent and boring.

A lot of opposing opinions has been aired about this film, and I believe it all comes down to once own ability to relate to the topics: artistic birth, loss, war and neglected youth which are all topics in this movie.

I personally found the strong symbolism and delicate details fantastic and original. My favourite part is when Jane walks naked through Paul's house, and studies his home as one of 2000's most descriptive metaphor for the vulnerability in loving someone, and letting someone love you.

I can see how the film at times bends towards the more drawn out, and "quiet without purpose" feel, however it is a film with substance when payed attention to, and it holds a originality and a new-thinking in terms of time and structure(done well) in film. It is at times given even more life by Olivia Coleman and Colin firths fantastic performances(which has not been mentioned enough).

Overall a brilliant film, for those for whom it may concern 🍁

Don't waste your time

[maircole · 1/10 · 19 November 2021]

Dreadful. Slow, slow, slow and very pretentious. Everything I dislike about cinema. Very inaccessible to every day cinema goers. Really disliked it. Acting was excellent, cinematography was wonderful but so hate to repeat the word pretentious but that is what it was. Hated it.

Enjoyable despite the cliché characters

[euroGary · 7/10 · 23 October 2021]

It is soon after the First World War and three middle-aged couples gather for lunch on Mothers' Day to celebrate the engagement of Paul (Josh O'Connor), the only survivor of the couples' five sons, the rest of whom were killed during the war. But Paul is late to the lunch, because he is having a last tryst with Jane (Odessa Young), a maid employed by one of the couples, the Nivens (Colin Firth and Olivia Coleman). Running parallel to that story is one set some years later, when Jane is a published author and living with fellow writer Donald (Sope Dirisu), who is gentle and wise in the way sole black characters in this sort of production often are. And running parallel to *that* is a story set many *decades* later, in which Jane has grown into Glenda Jackson and reminisces about her two lovers.

Stories revolving around romantic relationships between the British rich 'upstairs' and their subordinates 'downstairs' are ten a penny - although Jane has more common sense than the usual waif and there was not quite as much nudity in the likes of 'Downton Abbey' as there is here! Many of the characters are two-dimensional - Firth does his uncomfortable upper-class schtick yet again and Coleman also seems to be 'phoning in her performance, at least until an emotional outburst makes the viewer realise there is, after all, some life to Mrs Niven. The constant back-and-forth between the various time periods could have been confusing but director Eva Husson manages to give each one a distinctive tone.

On the whole, an enjoyable film that manages to be comforting because of its predictability.

Bit of a curates egg but ultimately very moving

[jamesmcconnon · 7/10 · 13 November 2021]

Set in the 20s it's about a maid having an affair with a rich guy. Starts a bit slow. Then becomes Downton Abbey with added nudity, which is a definite improvement, despite a couple of "I've just seen Prince Charles cock" moments.

But as it moves on and out becomes obvious that it's about the sheer volume of grief following the first World War, it becomes genuinely moving.

Doesn't all work. The wraparound story feels unnecessary, but some very good performances, and worth a look.

A repression of emotions.

[mick-meyers · 7/10 · 16 November 2021]

A worthy film,more cinematic art.such a repression of emotion not seen since remains of the day.it is a cut above the usual period dramas. The acting is very good,less dialogue means it's all told with the body language and eyes.

Barely watchable

[limeberry7 · 5/10 · 12 January 2022]

The movie falls into the of those boring post-Covid films the pretentious critics try to convince you are masterpieces. While the sets and costumes (you just can't go wrong with Sandy Powell - she is a holy saint that really kind of saves this film) and excessively unnecessary nudity will keep your attention, the story is not compelling and borderline cliché. The undercooked script doesn't really dive into exploring the relationships, relying instead on almost constantly naked main characters silently wondering gorgeous premises. The time flashbacks are irritating to the point that they are laughable. The talents of Glenda Jackson, Colin Firth and Olivia Colman are criminally underused. The relationship of Jane and Donald characters is puzzling and unexplored after the basic fact that there is no chemistry between them. The cinematography is quite mediocre. The whole film is an opulent mess but on the other hand I have seen much much worse.

Beautiful work

[amaranth64 · 10/10 · 23 May 2022]

This is a beautifully written, beautifully acted and beautifully shot piece of work. The understated performances from Colin Firth and Olivia Colman are a delight. This film captures the stiff upper lip, keep up appearances at all costs way of life with the real emotion always simmering beneath. If action movies are your thing you probably will not appreciate or make it through this film but, if you do, the rewards are bountiful. It is an absolute masterpiece of understated excellence.

she's naked a lot

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 9 September 2022]

It's 1924. Jane Fairchild (Odessa Young) is a maid working for the Nivens (Olivia Colman, Colin Firth) at their estate. She has a secret fling with upper class neighbor Paul Sheringham (Josh O'Connor). The war has taken many young men in the community. Paul is set to marry Emma Hobday who is equal to his station but neither are excited for the nuptial. Later in life, Jane is struggling to write about her loves and is married to Donald.

Odessa Young is naked a lot. That's my main takeaway from this movie. I'm trying not to be creepy but she is naked a lot, lot. I'm saying this because it's a lot of quietly walking around naked. It's repetitive. Instead of that, the movie could have dug more into the Nivens. They have some great actors here but they're only given a couple of scene to stretch out their acting skills. Colman and Firth are great but they only have good material in a few scenes. Odessa Young is a fine actress. She does fine work but most guys will only remember nakedness from this performance. This is trying to be a moody sensitive piece about romance and love lost. I guess it achieves the tone but it doesn't do more. They could have done so much more if they simply cut out most of her naked scenes and inject some dialogue.

Boring, don't bother. Waste of my time

[paulabucaresky · 2/10 · 25 December 2022]

The premise of this movie is quite appealing, but the movie itself is extremely slow paced, characters lack depth, the protagonist is unconvincing and the story is unremarkable. The only characters that spark any kind of interest are side characters, but unfortunately they also lack depth and are disregarded by the creators. The dialogue is also annoying and tries too hard to be poetic, which is easily noticed by the viewers. This movie makes you feel like you are waiting for something to happen, which spoiler alert, it never does. If you are looking for a captivating story of romance, don't bother watching this movie because you will not find it here. The two stars in the 2/10 rating is solely for the cinematography and costumes, which are quite good.

Superb acting in very refined sophisticated movie

[tacom · 10/10 · 6 June 2022]

Beautiful scenery, fantastic acting and a wonderful storytelling.

When all these great actors are put together to tell the story of Jane, you know there will be a lot you will love about this movie. The director made a choice to tell this story in different timelines, but with a great eye for details, for light, for close ups and it all is just wonderful.

I am a fan of Josh O'Connor and again he proved me why, he is excellent, charming when needed, dreamy and full of sorrow in a close up scene which took my breath away. Olivia and Colin each play a rather small part, but every line they speak is spot on and in Olivia's case especially the non spoken acting is simply phenomenal.

I saw that a lot of people rate this movie with just 1 star and it is simply ridiculous to be honest, when you love cinema, when you love attention to detail, when you love seeing brilliant actors it is simply not possible to give this just 1 star. Some people just are bullies really.

Sizzling but slow

[steveinadelaide · 7/10 · 5 June 2022]

Mothering Sunday (2022) is a slow-paced, sensuous, period romance set in the years following World War I. Based on a novel by Graham Swift, the film centres on Jane Fairchild (Odessa Young), a young woman working as a maid in an English country manor. Jane is in love with Paul (Josh O'Connor), the son of the house's owners, but he is betrothed to another woman. When Jane is given the day off on Mother's Day, she and Paul spend the day together, their passion reigniting. However, events take a turn that will change both of their lives forever.

The acting by both Young and O'Connor is excellent, and they have a natural chemistry that makes their scenes together sizzle. The movie is let down by the pace, which is slow and leisurely to the point of being sluggish. The dialogue is often stilted, and the characters seem to exist in a bubble, completely cut off from the harsh realities of the world outside. And be warned, inside this "bubble", there are multiple sex scenes, full-frontal nudity, and adult themes. So, if any of these offend you, you may wish to choose not to see the movie. Overall, though, Mothering Sunday is a beautifully shot film that will satisfy fans of romance novels and movies. Just don't expect anything too ground-breaking. If you can manage the slow pace, Mothering Sunday is a beautiful and heart-wrenching love story.

Boring!

[afruz-parto · 3/10 · 5 January 2022]

If the filmmakers tried to characterize the personas in the movie in place of investment to the nudity the movie would be much better!

We don't get anything about the characters, their pasts, their motives and we forget them by the end of the movie. Nothing special about this movie.

Could and should be better

[pasaribuharisfadli · 6/10 · 5 February 2022]

I still cross with BAFTA for ruling out Olivia Colman from their nominations this year. She's always luminous, even when in a very limited screen time like Mothering Sunday. The film itself was okay. A tad emotionally detached. I presume the not-so-smooth non-linear narrative could be is the reason.