Film Review: Finding Your Feet

Directed by Brit institution Richard Loncraine, this has Lady Sandra Abbott (Imelda Staunton) discover that her bounder husband Mike (John Sessions) has been having an affair.

After making a public scene (and overacting a little) she escapes to the messy apartment of her sister Bif (Celia Imrie) in London. They’ve been long-estranged as Sandra is a snob and Bif a cause-friendly, free-spirited sort. Although they’re somewhat unlikely siblings, it’s hard not to find their comic reconciliations charming.

Bif attends a regular dance class, and her pals there include antique dealer Charlie (Timothy Spall), his old mate Ted (David Hayman) and the oft-divorced Jackie (Joanna Lumley in a few sweet scenes). Of course, Bif winds up dragging Sandra along one week.

Naturally, it transpires that Sandra was a gifted dancer as a kid, and that she gave it all away to be a wife, mother and upper-class-twit. So, Bif encourages her to try tripping the light fantastic once again, as well as, just perhaps, get friendly with Charlie, who has some tough emotional problems of his own.

There’s a lot here that could prove irksome for some: Staunton’s over-the-top at times; the credibility gaps (Sandra surely has heaps of money so why didn’t she just stay at a hotel?) are certainly there; and the product-placement moments for Age UK, who were involved in the production, feel a touch gratuitous.

Yet all of that hardly matters for this one’s target audience, who’ll love all the performances, tap their toes to a soundtrack that veers from Glenn Miller’s In The Mood to The Big Bopper’s Chantilly Lace to Chic’s Le Freak, and happily tear up at all the sad stuff.

Maybe getting on a bit isn’t that bad after all?

Rated M. Finding Your Feet is in cinemas now.