Film: Military Wives
Film Number: 11
Stars:3.75
I shouldn't see English films. They make me cry and they make me homesick.
Regardless, I took myself off to see Military Wives as a diversion. I'd seen the trailer a few weeks before and it looked like a good diversion - and it was. It was also quite formulaic and pretty predictable, but it was also lovely - so a lot can be forgiven.
The story follows the English tradition of all movies about underdogs, along the lines of The Full Monty, Fishermens Friends and Brassed Off.
This time, the film looks at a group of women, the wives of the military, who have been deployed to Afghanistan on a tour of duty for six months. The women form a choir to take away some of loneliness and worry felt by them as their men are half way around the world.
The choir has its challenges. The leader of the group, Lisa (Sharon Horgan) is new to the leadership role placed on her with her husband's promotion. Kate (Kristin Scott Thomas) the Captain's wife, reeling from a recent bereavement, decides to join in to help. Needless to say, the women have completely different management styles. Kristin Scott Thomas reprises the role she had in Four Weddings and a Funeral - why mess with perfection. Sharon Horgan is wonderful as the down to earth Lisa, a woman struggling being a part time single Mum and new found leader.
The women of the fledgling choir are heard in practice by the brigadier, who asks (orders) them to sing at the Albert Hall for a Remembrance Day event.
The film is fairly formulaic. You know when you go in, there will be a few things that will happen. One of the soldiers will die. Kate and Lisa will get up each other's noses and have a fight. The singing will be dodgy at the start it will get better. Of course, the Welsh Girl can sing.
It's all there.
But what saves this film is it's heart. The script is strong and not overly sappy. There are some wonderful laughs and quite a few tears and some of the girls' stories come to the fore.
It was also great to find out that these women are a part of a movement and now there are around 3000 military wives who sing in these choirs around Britain and their associated bases.
I really enjoyed this. It's something my mother would love. Like me, she likes seeing when the underdog has their day.
It was a lovely diversion for an afternoon. And once again, I felt a bit homesick.
Today's song:
Film Number: 11
Stars:3.75
I shouldn't see English films. They make me cry and they make me homesick.
Regardless, I took myself off to see Military Wives as a diversion. I'd seen the trailer a few weeks before and it looked like a good diversion - and it was. It was also quite formulaic and pretty predictable, but it was also lovely - so a lot can be forgiven.
The story follows the English tradition of all movies about underdogs, along the lines of The Full Monty, Fishermens Friends and Brassed Off.
This time, the film looks at a group of women, the wives of the military, who have been deployed to Afghanistan on a tour of duty for six months. The women form a choir to take away some of loneliness and worry felt by them as their men are half way around the world.
The choir has its challenges. The leader of the group, Lisa (Sharon Horgan) is new to the leadership role placed on her with her husband's promotion. Kate (Kristin Scott Thomas) the Captain's wife, reeling from a recent bereavement, decides to join in to help. Needless to say, the women have completely different management styles. Kristin Scott Thomas reprises the role she had in Four Weddings and a Funeral - why mess with perfection. Sharon Horgan is wonderful as the down to earth Lisa, a woman struggling being a part time single Mum and new found leader.
The women of the fledgling choir are heard in practice by the brigadier, who asks (orders) them to sing at the Albert Hall for a Remembrance Day event.
The film is fairly formulaic. You know when you go in, there will be a few things that will happen. One of the soldiers will die. Kate and Lisa will get up each other's noses and have a fight. The singing will be dodgy at the start it will get better. Of course, the Welsh Girl can sing.
It's all there.
But what saves this film is it's heart. The script is strong and not overly sappy. There are some wonderful laughs and quite a few tears and some of the girls' stories come to the fore.
It was also great to find out that these women are a part of a movement and now there are around 3000 military wives who sing in these choirs around Britain and their associated bases.
I really enjoyed this. It's something my mother would love. Like me, she likes seeing when the underdog has their day.
It was a lovely diversion for an afternoon. And once again, I felt a bit homesick.
Today's song:
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