MILITARY WIVES
Light my choir…
Kristin ST quite literally preaches to the choir.
OUT 6 MARCH
Peter Cattaneo’s Military Wives feels like a kid sibling to his 1997 mega-hit The Full Monty. There, a group of unemployed steelworkers found solidarity in stripping. Here, the bonding comes over a glass or two of chardonnay and hitting the high notes, as spouses on a British army base form a choir while their husbands head out to Afghanistan.
Based on a true story (as featured in the 2011 series of BBC documentary The Choir), Cattaneo’s film follows a familiar trajectory, as the gals rehearse, perform, struggle and finally overcome their fears with a performance at the Royal Albert Hall. But the fact the tropes are so well-worn is ameliorated by spot-on performances from leads Kristin Scott Thomas (as Kate, haughty wife of the base’s colonel) and Catastrophe’s Sharon Horgan (as the more salt-of-the-earth Lisa).
Inevitably, these opposites clash over the group, with Kate’s schoolmarm approach leaving her isolated. But the real drama comes from the difficulties faced as loved ones head out to a war
zone. Cattaneo doesn’t shirk his duties here, and Military Wives is on sure footing when it comes to dealing with hard-hitting emotional fallout.
No question, the film makes some shamelessly manipulative moves. But like last year’s Fisherman’s Friends, it’s a sentimentally effective riff on the power of music and friendship. With strong support – notably Gaby French as the group’s unsung hero – this will leave you feeling in tune with the world. James Mottram
THE VERDICT
A feelgood charmer that will appeal to those looking to have their cockles warmed.