More than two years since its premiere, Kristin Scott Thomas’ directorial debut, co-written with her husband John Micklethwait, finally opens here. Sisters Georgina (Emily Beecham), a palliative nurse, actress Victoria (Sienna Miller) and Katherine (Scarlett Johansson) who is a navy captain, return to their family home to attend the wedding of their twice widowed mother Diana (Thomas).
My Mother’s Wedding is a film that gradually crept up on me. At first, I thought it was very much a rich peoples’ problems movie, and Victoria in particular was annoying to spend time with. But as more about the family’s history was revealed and I got to know the complexity of the characters, I was completely pulled in.
Thomas shows some flair with a moving camera and is centre of the outstanding scene when she sets her daughters straight whilst visiting the graves of her first two husbands. The screenplay, leaning heavily on Thomas’ own upbringing has some sharply observed moments.
Johansson’s English accent is impressive and she again shows what a fine performer she is, away from the shackles of Marvel. Unsurprisingly, with the talent on screen and a great actress behind the camera, the performances are all good.
I hope an audience can be found amongst older cinemagoers but I expect it will find its home on TV.
Rating: 7.5 out of 10