One Mann’s Movies review of “Military Wives” (2020).
Bob the Movie Man’s Rating:
Certification:
US: PG-13. UK: 12.
I must admit that I was a bit of a drag-along to “Military Wives” The trailer excited me not…. one…. bit. Sentimental film. Dull story. Wrong demographic. No, no, no.
But… Bob the Movie Man can be wrong about some things (HOLD THE FRONT PAGE!), and in this case I am very happy to be proved wrong, wrong, wrong.
True that I didn’t sit in the ideal demographic for this movie. 90% of the audience at the UK premiere showing I attended last night were female and older that me. But the – inherently British – story is engaging and rewarding from start to finish. As such, this is a movie that I predict is going to turn the blue-rinse / “Mamma Mia” crowd out in DROVES!
In harmony. The ensemble cast of Military Wives. (Source: Liongate).
The sheet music.
Loosely based on the true story, it’s 2010 and a regiment of husbands (and at least one wife…. nice to see an all female relationship featured) are dispatched from the fictional “Flitcroft Barracks” to Afghanistan on a tour of duty. Thereafter every ring at the door by a friend spells mild panic ; every thoughtless call from an accident-chaser induces hypertension.
Trying to take their minds off their loved ones, Colonel’s wife Kate (Kristin Scott Thomas) muscles in on the insipid entertainment plans of Lisa (Sharon Horgan) in organising a singing group. Lisa thinks “girls just wanna have fun”; Kate thinks they should be training as a proper choir. Sparks fly.
But against all the odds, the tuneless bunch progressively improve until they get the chance to present their talents to an unaware nation.
The smiles in this shot don’t reflect the tension between these two for most of the movie. Sharon Horgan and Kristin Scott Thomas. (Source: Liongate).
All the right notes… and in the right order.
The illustrious Mrs Movie Man summed up in one word why this movie is so good…… “balance”. The movie covers topics of fear, grief, social conflict, family conflict and uplifting joy. One step off the tightrope could have spelled disaster. But director Peter Cattaneo, of “Full Monty” fame, through the expert script of Roseanne Flynn and Rachel Tunnard, walks that line with perfect balance. It never feels overly melodramatic; never feels a light piece of superficial fluff either.
And when “the performance” happens, you will be hard pushed not to need a tissue or two….. I certainly succombed to the emotion of the moment.
“Bye” seems to be the hardest word. Kate (Kristin Scott-Thomas) says a particularly difficult goodbye to husband Richard (Greg Wise).
White notes and Black notes lacking harmony.
At the core of the story are the perfectly cast duo of Kristin Scott Thomas and Sharon Horgan. With just a handful of introductory lines, you quickly get the measure of Kate’s character, without ever knowing the story behind the icy and brittle facade. The conflict between her and the fun-loving egalitarian Lisa is writ large. What’s nice here is that you are never totally sure who’s side of the argument you are on. It is easy to side with Lisa at the start of the film, but as you learn more and particularly after a particularly careless act by Lisa towards the end of the film, your sympathies change.
The rest of the excellent ensemble cast also work naturally together. Particularly impressive are Emma Lowndes as Annie and Amy James-Kelly as the newly married Sarah. This feels like a group of actors who were brought together to film a story and bonded as friends in the process. You end up caring a great deal for what happens to them.
For Crooks (Jason Flemyng), even Crazy Frog on the iPod was preferable to THAT. (Source: Lionsgate).
Variations on a theme.
Although the script is based on the true story of the military wives it diverges significantly from what actually happens in the interests of an engaging story. Choirmaster Gareth Malone was, of course, actively involved in the true story as a part of a TV programme, but none of that is referenced in the movie. But that doesn’t remotely impinge on your enjoyment of the movie for one second.
Particularly well handled is a sub-story about the long-term effects of grief. ‘Dave’ turns from being a passive to an active participant in the story at a key moment.
Where it all began. Gareth Malone with the real life Military Wives. (Source: BBC).
A real feelgood crowd pleaser.
It’s that depressing time of the year when everyone is fed up of rain, wind and dripping noses. It’s a time of year when you look for some uplifting entertainment…. people surely watch “Death in Paradise” for the sun rather than the stories? Ladies – and the odd gentleman – I give you “Military Wives”. It’s not bloody Shakespeare. But if this doesn’t make you feel uplifted and better about the world, then I will dutifully kiss the regimental goat.
Trailer:
The trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1oa8nrcVc0. You’ve already seen it, but I would say that there is a bit of an (unnecessary) spoiler in here.
