Tina Porter

Although I’ve seen this movie a few times and thoroughly enjoy the stellar performances of the cast, watching it tonight I was struck by the blatant contradiction. There they all are professing and debating racial harmony when for the whole day their black maid ‘Tilly’ is slaving away in the kitchen preparing a meal, setting the table, arranging the drinks. Katherine Hepburn provides the flowers for the table but other than that no assistance is given. when the daughter comes to tell her that more people are coming it’s just a given that she’ll order more steaks and make another pie. She has been working all day and they don’t even come to the table in time - when they finally do they all sit at the table and Tilly serves them. Shameful.

Starts off well,flounders badly through the middle. Becomes extremely maudlin towards the end and I wish I could tell you how it ends but frankly I gave up caring. Life is too short for such bad writing, suicidal music and plentiful platitudes. Two hours of my life that I won’t get back. Do something better with your time folks.

This film started with promise but failed on so many levels. Eddie Izzard is poorly cast as the main character, wooden acting and a failure to reach any depth. Judi Dench is rapidly becoming the ‘Michael Caine’ of female actors. She seems to be taking any and all roles offered to her and in this film it’s hard to know what exactly she’s there for.