Four Mothers review – remake of Mid-August lunch moves to Dublin and brings out queer subtext
Gianni Di Gregorio's modern Italian classic Mid-August Lunch from 2008, about a middle-aged bachelor caring for his ageing mum and other elderly ladies, has inspired this loose remake: a broad comedy amplifying what could be seen as the original's queer subtext. Despite one or two sweet touches and game performances, it never comes close to matching the gentleness, subtlety and charm of the original.
The action is transferred from Rome to Dublin and the gay theme perhaps effectively replaces the importance of food in the Italian film. James McArdle is Edward, a YA author and gay man on the verge of major literary stardom, for which an upcoming US publicity tour is vitally important. But he has to take care of his widowed mum Alma (Fionnula Flanagan) who cannot speak after suffering a stroke, and there is some droll comedy with the Stephen Hawking voice enunciating her crisp commands from her iPad.
And then Edward's three gay male friends (he appears to have no female friends, gay or straight), dump their elderly mums on him because they all want to head off for a dissolute Pride weekend abroad; they are Maude (Stella McCusker), Jean (Dearbhla Molloy) and Rosie (Paddy Glynn). And so Edward, decent guy that he is, does his best to look after these formidably opinionated and difficult four ladies while dealing with his own private heartbreak and issues with anxiety, as well as his unresolved anger about his late father. There are moments when it comes to life and there's a nice cameo for Niamh Cusack, but for me, the film is at once bland and cartoony.
Four Mothers is in UK and Irish cinemas from 4 April.
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