Finding Your Feet: A Bland British Crowd-pleaser

Imelda Staunton plays Lady Sandra Abbott, an upper-middle class snob who throws her government-job husband (John Sessions) a lavish retirement party – only to discover him in the pantry with her best friend, who he’s been having an affair with him for five years. Sandra, thrown into confusion as to what her life has been and now will be, moves in with her estranged sister, Bif (Celia Imrie). Bif is a joyful bohemian, who attends dance classes, swims in freezing cold canals, and has a diverse group of friends including men who she still – gasp! – sleeps with. All of these modest but fun-filled activities are miles away from Sandra’s stuffy, genteel lifestyle, and she initially thinks it outrageous – until she learns to lighten up, feel the joy, live a little, yadda yadda yadda.

There’s nothing remotely original or surprising about the feelgood Marigold Hotel-lite plot, which includes public dance numbers, a group trip to Rome and jokes about Joanna Lumley being a multiple divorcee. There are moving moments which address the difficulties of being old, such as losing friends to illness or death, but it’s largely paint-by-numbers – which isn’t necessarily a bad thing for the film’s target audience.

The main strength is the cast, with Staunton and Imrie providing real charm as they bicker and bond. Elsewhere, Timothy Spall – commonly cast in gruff, cantankerous roles – gets to show a softer side as an admirer of Sandra, and their slowly building courtship is, well, nice – the most passionate adjective this film can inspire.