Joanna Hogg's first feature film sees the protagonist, Anna (Kathyrn Worth), joining an old school friend and her bourgeois family in their rural Italian villa for a holiday. While making excuses for her husband's absence, Anna gets caught between the generational divides of her friend's family - the parents and their teenagers.
Relishing in the teen youth, sexual energy and vivacious spirit, Anna attempts to flit among the youngsters. It is only until her advances on her friend's nephew are rebuffed that Anna begins to assimilate with her peers and confront exactly what she is trying to escape from.
Considering the plethora of films and literature in recent years focusing on this topic, you might be forgiven for thinking that a middle-aged sense of loss and regret is an acutely male condition. Here writer and director Joanna Hogg gives voice to the female perspective, profiling a woman dealing with all the issues faced by men too, only coupled with the trauma of menopause. In an interview with Meryl Streep when The Devil Wears Prada was released, she voiced her despair at the lack of positive roles out there for middle-aged woman (obviously pre-Mama Mia, eh?) in Hollywood. But here it is. It's not exactly the main stream but it's a start.
Film Information
Theatrical release date: 19 September 2008
Directed by Joanna HoggCast Tom Hiddleston, Harry Kershaw, Kathryn Worth
Runtime: 100 minutes
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