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).
A seductive lyricism flows through this languid adaptation of Graham Swift's novella. Set in 1924, it follows young house maid Jane (Odessa Young), who works for the Nivens (Colin Firth and Olivia Colman). Secretly, she is having an affair with Paul (Josh O'Connor), the well-to-do son of their neighbours, who is engaged to another woman. Their romance unfolds against a backdrop of heartbreak, as the families struggle to cope with the death of their sons in World War I. French director Eva Husson previously tackled blossoming teenage sexuality in Bang Gang (A Modern Love Story), and here she airs out stuffy British period drama tropes with scenes of erotically charged intimacy. Young and O'Connor offer up quietly mesmerising performances, and even though the film loses some momentum as it flits backwards and forwards in time, it's nonetheless a delicate and moving portrayal of grief and love.
| role | name |
|---|---|
| Jane Fairchild | Odessa Young |
| Mrs Niven | Olivia Colman |
| Mr Niven | Colin Firth |
| role | name |
|---|---|
| Director | Eva Husson |
