Tales of forbidden love are a constant in the world of film. And in “Mothering Sunday,” we see yet another take on this, but with the added bonus of one of the best casts of the year.
As seen in the trailer for “Mothering Sunday,” the film follows the story of a young maid, Jane, who finds herself with the rare opportunity to spend time with her lover, Paul. The couple must keep their love secret as Paul is engaged to be wed soon enough. As you might expect, drama ensues.
The film stars Odessa Young, Josh O’Connor, Olivia Colman, Colin Firth, Ṣọpẹ Dìrísù, and Glenda Jackson. “Mothering Sunday” is directed by Eva Husson, with a script written by Alice Birch. The filmmaker is probably best known for her earlier films such as “The Bang Gang” and “Girls of the Sun.” Most recently, she worked on multiple episodes of the “Hanna” TV series.
We saw “Mothering Sunday” at this year’s Cannes, and in our review, we said the film “is a thoughtful, if occasionally melodramatic reflection on the nature of grief. The rich, unfiltered sexuality will lure the ‘Normal People’ and ‘Bridgerton’ crowds, while the English bourgeois ambiance ought to snag the ‘Downton Abbey’ and ‘Sanditon’ fans. But the film’s frequent temporal disruptions, likely a formal homage to [Graham] Swift’s book, muddle the delivery of its plot.”
“Mothering Sunday” arrives in theaters on February 25, 2022. You can watch the trailer below.
Here’s the synopsis:
On a warm spring day in 1924, house maid and foundling Jane Fairchild (Odessa Young) finds herself alone on Mother’s Day. Her employers, Mr. and Mrs. Niven (Colin Firth and Olivia Colman), are out and she has the rare chance to spend quality time with her secret lover. Paul (Josh O’Connor) is the boy from the manor house nearby, Jane’s long-term love despite the fact that he’s engaged to be married to another woman, a childhood friend and daughter of his parents’ friends. But events that neither can foresee will change the course of Jane’s life forever.