“Mothering Sunday”  (MA)  *** and a half

THE basis of this drama directed by Eva Husson is a novel by Graham Swift adapted for cinema by Alice Birch.

Jane (Odessa Young) has ambitions to be a writer. She presently works as a housemaid in the country residence of Mr and Mrs Niven (Colin Firth and Olivia Colman). 

Husson’s film explores Jane’s conflicting feelings about her life as a maid, and how reading became a way out that was both temporary (losing herself in a good adventure story) and permanent (quitting her job with the Nivens to work in a bookshop).

On Mothering Sunday, 1924 (four weeks after Lent), the Nivens, still grieving for their sons killed in World War I, have given their staff the day off to visit family. An orphan, Jane spends the day enjoying the best that life can give with the Nivens’ neighbours’ son Paul (Josh O’Connor), who’s engaged to someone else. And she’s also more than a little fond of Donald (Sope Dirisu) whose African heritage may raise eyebrows not so much at such blatant miscegenation as for the actor’s sheer masculine strength.

The story slowly boils down to Jane enjoying happy carnality with Paul and exploring his family’s house, and, in a different environment, Mr Niven, whose wife is no longer the source of affection and pleasure that she may have been. The locations are classic English country mansions and gardens. The action jumps from one time to another but not so hard to follow as it might have been.

And in an important minor role, Jane in her 90s with her book at last published, Glenda Jackson at 86 still delivers the performance clout that earned her two Oscars in earlier days.

At Dendy and Palace Electric