Presented as a rom-com (which it barely is), and as a film of class contrasts between sisters Lady Sandra (Imelda Staunton) and Elizabeth/"Bif" (Celia Imrie) (which it barely is), "Finding Your Feet" from Director Richard Loncraine is mainly a drama about ageing people's dreams and realities, and that inevitably denotes a good deal of struggle and melancholy.
The film peaks with a dance routine apparently performed in London by the actors and others in the name of the charity "Age UK", and this is both worthy and uplifting, but seems in essence to be as much life as art, since we have the strong impression that a real spontaneous audience is watching this real street performance with a real charitable goal.
Not sure if this is true, though.
While Celia Imrie always acts effortlessly, the spadework here is put in by Timothy Spall as Charlie, and especially of course by Staunton, who never fails.
But on the minus side, pithy, realistic, cathartic and necessary as the storyline here may be, it is also unwaveringly predictable in the bitter-sweetest of ways, and in fact hovers riskily close to cliche. Of course, this may just mean that most elderly people face a familiar pattern of sickness and death around them, while many also have to deal with unfaithfulness, and dilemmas as regards bucket lists and unfulfilled hopes and ambitions, but that still cannot justify this film being seen as brilliant high art (unlike, say, Maggie Smith's "The Lady in the Van", which is).
Ultimately, then, it's quaint, quiet, determinedly British, rather sad and very well-acted. If that's enough for you, then watch and experience ... though I can't quite say enjoy...
The film peaks with a dance routine apparently performed in London by the actors and others in the name of the charity "Age UK", and this is both worthy and uplifting, but seems in essence to be as much life as art, since we have the strong impression that a real spontaneous audience is watching this real street performance with a real charitable goal.
Not sure if this is true, though.
While Celia Imrie always acts effortlessly, the spadework here is put in by Timothy Spall as Charlie, and especially of course by Staunton, who never fails.
But on the minus side, pithy, realistic, cathartic and necessary as the storyline here may be, it is also unwaveringly predictable in the bitter-sweetest of ways, and in fact hovers riskily close to cliche. Of course, this may just mean that most elderly people face a familiar pattern of sickness and death around them, while many also have to deal with unfaithfulness, and dilemmas as regards bucket lists and unfulfilled hopes and ambitions, but that still cannot justify this film being seen as brilliant high art (unlike, say, Maggie Smith's "The Lady in the Van", which is).
Ultimately, then, it's quaint, quiet, determinedly British, rather sad and very well-acted. If that's enough for you, then watch and experience ... though I can't quite say enjoy...