(spoiler free)
‘Finding Your Feet’ stars Imelda Staunton as Lady Sandra Abbot who after thirty five years of marriage discovers her husband, played by John Sessions, has been cheating on her with her best friend. As a result Sandra travels to London to stay with her estranged sister, Bif, portrayed by the wonderful Celia Imrie. Sandra’s introduced to Bif’s friends by joining a local dance class who try to convince her that getting away from her husband is maybe just what she needs!
The cast assembled for this old age dramedy is a superb British ensemble. Staunton is perfect as the middle class prude who ultimately feels like a fish out of water when she lands on her sisters inner-city council estate doorstep. Her inevitable change of demeanor and attitude over the course of the film is convincing and Staunton brings a lovely charm to her performance. Her on screen sister, Imrie is fantastic as always, this time playing a free-spirited eco-warrior keen to make the most of her remaining years. The pair create a good contrast and make for an amusing double-act, providing humour but especially heart, which I’ll touch on more later. Fresh from presenting the BAFTAs Joanna Lumley stars as one of Bif’s friends, Jackie, who can just about count the amount of husbands she’s had on one hand. She has some of the funniest lines in the film however she’s never utilised enough which is a definite missed opportunity. Timothy Spall & David Hayman complete the main cast as working class chums Charlie & Ted, they contribute well to the cast and fulfill their roles with ease, Hayman offering similar comic support like Lumley’s, Jackie. Spall has considerably much more to do but takes the role in his stride excelling in all aspects.
There’s no faulting the cast here and because of that it’s even more of a shame that the writing demonstrated for the screenplay here simply can’t showcase their talents at their best. It’s clear that they really are trying to make the most of the material they have but it more often than not feels a little lackluster. Despite this the bare bones of the narrative are solid, it’s a simple story and one that is full of life affirming messages about making the most of the time we have on this earth and avoiding regrets. The comedy written into the script needed a little work, don’t get me wrong there are funny moments with a couple of laugh out loud lines of dialogue, however a better quality of comedic writing and more of it could have made ‘Finding Your Feet’ a more memorable affair. It was this somewhat lacking element which could have helped with the pacing of the film. Ultimately it’s not entertaining enough to warrant it’s run time and could have done with loosing fifteen minutes or so. Although too long, the screenplay does boast one really well executed element, it’s sentiment. With old age life begins to through some tough challenges in our direction and a number of these are touched on here in quite effective fashion. The cast are at their best in these moments, creating some especially heartfelt storylines that make the whole venture worthwhile.
If the comedy could have matched the emotion ‘Finding Your Feet’ may have become a real must-see however it ends up being slightly unremarkable and not particularly memorable. Nonetheless it’s still a charming film and would fill any lazy Sunday afternoon with your mum quite well. It’s a heartfelt drama with a sprinkling of old age comedy, it will have it’s audience but unfortunately may get lost amongst the other more dominant current cinematic releases, but just like the spirit of the film that won’t stop it from trying!
Written by Hamish Calvert
Rating – 6/10
Question: What’s your favourite old age dramedy?
(Leave your answers in the comments section below!)
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