I heard an interview with auteur and star Dame Kristin Scott Thomas telling us that this is, to a degree, autobiographical. She lost both of her military fathers and her mother did, indeed, get around to marry a civilian for a third time. Where we digress from her truth is in the three more fictional characterisations of those who play her daughters in this drama. "Katherine" (Scarlett Johansson) has just been appointed to command aircraft carrier HMS "Prince of Wales" and is outwardly the most robust of the siblings who are gathering for their mother's forthcoming nuptials with the ostensibly unremarkable "Geoff" (James Fleet). "Victoria" (Sienna Miller) is a wealthy and successful Hollywood star and finally there's "Georgie" (Emily Beecham) who is convinced that her sleazeball husband is having an affair. For the next ninety minutes we get to know this family a little better as we are exposed to their relationship phobias, sexuality, trust and parenthood issues and to that scenario that plagues so many families - the fact that in adulthood we aren't always friends or even fond of our relatives. It's all very rustic and sympathetically photographed but the substance is lacking from the very start and with the exception of an incident with the vodka-loaded "Skylar" (Ziggy Gardner) stuck up a tree, there isn't a jot of humour in amongst all this familial navel gazing. It's not a bad film, but it is bland.
