On the eve of retirement, snobby Sandra (Imelda Stanton) discovers her husband has been cheating on her with her best friend for the last five years, and escapes to her almost estranged sister Bif's (Celia Imrie) artistic flat in a council estate. This sets the scene for a comfortable and at times amusing passage through all the issues of having a new lifestyle and friendship group thrust upon oneself. Timothy Spall is wonderful as Charlie, one of Bif's longstanding friends and his challenges in life provide much of the substance of the film. Sandra's linking to her new reality is centred on an amateur dance group, where Indra Ove's Corrina uplifts and inspires them to almost unbelievable heights, including an all expenses paid two night gig on stage in Rome.
Somehow, however, while it's pleasant and comfortably competent, and has many well known and much admired cast members, it just didn't seem to get to any great heights of insight or suspense. It's pleasantly funny and moving at times, but didn't seem to say anything to me that I hadn't seen or felt before. Perhaps the problem lay with the quality and standard of dancing that the ageing troupe of amateurs achieve, and the plot points that this facilitates. No matter, suspend disbelief, the show must go on!
The settings around London and Rome are wonderfully chosen, lit and filmed. The music was well chosen for the age group. The cast are uniformly good and I found the film a pleasant, easy to watch and somewhat nostalgic journey. But I can't agree with those who are putting it in the great or brilliant category.
Somehow, however, while it's pleasant and comfortably competent, and has many well known and much admired cast members, it just didn't seem to get to any great heights of insight or suspense. It's pleasantly funny and moving at times, but didn't seem to say anything to me that I hadn't seen or felt before. Perhaps the problem lay with the quality and standard of dancing that the ageing troupe of amateurs achieve, and the plot points that this facilitates. No matter, suspend disbelief, the show must go on!
The settings around London and Rome are wonderfully chosen, lit and filmed. The music was well chosen for the age group. The cast are uniformly good and I found the film a pleasant, easy to watch and somewhat nostalgic journey. But I can't agree with those who are putting it in the great or brilliant category.