Fall in love with a band of gold
MILITARY WIVES ★★★★ (Cert 12A, 113mins)
TWO decades after scoring a shock global hit with The Full Monty, director Peter Cattaneo is back with another rousing tale of British underdogs. Fans of TV choirmaster Gareth Malone will know all about the Military Wives, a group of singing soldiers’ spouses who scored an unlikely Christmas No. 1 in 2011. This funny, big-hearted tear-jerker takes us to an English military base to tell their highly fictionalised origins story.
When the servicemen and women leave for a six-month tour of Afghanistan, someone needs to organise morale-boosting activities for the women they left behind.
As the wife of the newly promoted Regimental Sergeant Major, this honour falls to a reluctant Lisa (Sharon Horgan) who is struggling to raise her mouthy teenage daughter Frankie (India Ria Amarteifio) while running the base’s general store.
Her first idea is to form a knitting and drinking club but, when that unravels, she unpacks her old synthesiser and dishes out song sheets.This piques the interest of tweedy Kate (Kristin Scott Thomas).
As the wife of the highest-ranking officer (Greg Wise’s colonel), she’s supposed to stand apart from the rest of the women.
But Kate, who is mourning her soldier son, needs a distraction too. “Can we hear the Ts, please? Enunciate!” she cries, as the women murder Tears For Fears’ Shout.
As is often the case, the two leads are opposites who gradually discover they have some common ground.
The bickering choirmasters form a great double act but Cattaneo also gives them space to develop three-dimensional characters.
Lisa’s prickly relationship with her daughter Frankie is touching and convincing. Scott Thomas is terrific, never allowing stuffy Kate to feel like a caricature. She’s clearly a control freak but we can always see the vulnerability beneath that stiff upper lip.
The minor players have their moments in the spotlight too.Amy James-Kelly, who plays newlywed Sarah, has a beautifully written and
performed scene with Scott Thomas; Gaby French makes us root for nervousWelsh songbird Jess; and Lara Rossi raises laughs as tone deaf hairdresser Ruby.
When Jason Flemyng’s sergeant earns them a spot at a concert at the Royal Albert Hall, the film has its ticking clock.Will the ladies overcome those last-minute hitches and be on song for the big finale?
MilitaryWives may move to some very familiar beats but all resistance is futile. Succumb to its charms and you’ll leave the film with a song in your heart and a spring in your step.