Review: Warm Brit comedy ‘Finding Your Feet’ enchants
A woman must adjust to life after the dissolution of her 40-year marriage in this winning effort
A feel-good film that is as telegraphed as it is predictable, “Finding Your Feet” is a nonetheless winning endeavor because of the sheer size of its heart.
Imelda Staunton stars as Sandra Abbott, who is celebrating 40 years of marriage to her husband when she realizes he has been cheating on her for years. She leaves him and moves in with her estranged sister, Bif (Celia Imrie), who is several worlds away from Sandra’s prim and proper lifestyle. Sandra is forced to loosen up and get out of her shell, and she learns to reconnect with her love of dance and rediscover life’s joys.
“Finding Your Feet” is one of those British late-in-life comedies (see also “Calendar Girls”) that gets by on its charm and goodwill. It is assisted by its tremendous cast, which is far better than the surface-level material warrants; Timothy Spall, pound-for-pound one of the best actors working today, arrives as Bif’s handy friend, Charlie, and if you don’t immediately see where his and Sandra’s storyline is headed, you need to get your glasses checked.
The film takes on issues of infidelity, cancer, dementia and aging with the delicacy of a child handling a newborn kitten. But no one is coming to “Finding Your Feet” to be bummed out. The movie is a big, warm British hug with a side of hot tea. It’s tough to turn down.
It’s not that the material automatically sells itself; the recent “The Leisure Seeker” covered similar topics and stumbled the entire way. But director Richard Loncraine and his cast are able to capture and convey a feeling of warmth that makes everything go down easy. “Finding Your Feet” sticks its landing.
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‘Finding Your Feet’
GRADE: B
Rated PG-13 for suggestive material, brief drug use, and brief strong language
Running time: 111 minutes