Finding Your Feet
The Film
Finding Your Feet is a 2018 British romantic comedy-drama directed by Richard Loncraine from an original screenplay by Nick Moorcroft and Meg Leonard.
The film stars Imelda Staunton, Timothy Spall, Celia Imrie, Joanna Lumley, David Hayman, John Sessions and Josie Lawrence.
‘Lady’ Sandra Abbott (Imelda Staunton) discovers that her husband of forty years (John Sessions) is having an affair with her best friend (Josie Lawrence). She seeks refuge in London with her estranged, older sister Bif (Celia Imrie).
Sandra is a fish out of water next to her outspoken, serial
dating, free spirited sibling who lives on an inner-city council estate.
But difference is just what Sandra needs, and she reluctantly lets Bif
drag her along to a community dance class where she meets her sister's
friends, Charlie (Timothy Spall), Jackie (Joanna Lumley) and Ted (David
Hayman). This colourful group of defiant and energetic third-agers start
to show Sandra that retirement is a beginning, and that divorce could
be her new lease of life and love.
Cinema Trailer
Production
Finding Your Feet was announced at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival and started shooting on 31st October 2016, in London and Rome. The film wrapped on 16th December 2016.
The film was released nationwide in the United Kingdom and Ireland on 23rd February 2018. Roadside Attractions picked up the U.S distribution rights. Finding Your Feet was released theatrically in America on 30th March 2018.
Roadside Attractions co-founders Howard Cohen and Eric d’Arbeloff said: "Finding Your Feet is one of Richard Loncraine’s best. It is brilliantly acted and completely endearing, emotional and delightfully charming and funny from start to finish. It is the kind of feel-good, character rich, second chance at life comedy that we absolutely love."
Release
On 20th October 2017, it was announced that Finding Your Feet would open the 35th Torino Film Festival. The director Richard Loncraine, and the actors Timothy Spall and Celia Imrie presented the feature (re-titled Ricomincio da me) at the festival in Turin on 24th November 2017. The Torino Film Festival is the second largest film festival in Italy, following the Venice Film Festival. Finding Your Feet is distributed in Italy by CINEMA, owned by veteran film distributor Valerio De Paolis.
The Hollywood Reporter announced on the 15th December 2017 that the film
would have its North American premiere at the 29th Palm Springs International
Film Festival on 6th January 2018. The film was named as one of the 'best
of the fest' and screened again for the public on Monday 15th January
.
Awards
On 15th January 2018, Finding Your Feet won the Audience Award for Best Film at the Palm Springs International Film Festival.
Cast
Imelda Staunton as Sandra
Timothy Spall as Charlie
Celia Imrie as Bif
Joanna Lumley as Jackie
David Hayman as Ted
John Sessions as Mike
Josie Lawrence as Pamela
Indra Ové as Corrina
Sian Thomas as Lilly
Critical Reception
On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, Finding Your Feet has a fresh approval rating of 75%. A Google Users poll in March 2018 rated the film 78%.
Australian film critic Stephen Romei of The Australian awarded the film 4 stars and said "Finding Your Feet is rightly billed as comedy-drama; yet, although it’s full of rib-tickling dialogue, it’s the drama that cuts deep".
Mark Kermode reviewed the film favourably on BBC Radio 5 Live. Kevin Maher from The Times said it was "oddly adorable". Andy Lea of The Sunday Express awarded the film 4 stars and said "it’s big-hearted, touching, smartly-written and beautifully performed by a hugely talented cast". Allan Hunter said in The Daily Express that it was "a sentimental tearjerker elevated by a top-notch British cast".
Linda Marric from HeyUGuys said the film was "a charming, oft-told tale of second chances in life and love, filled with fine performances." Francesca Rudkin of The New Zealand Herald compared Finding Your Feet to The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and Calendar Girls and said the film was "a charming .... crowd-pleaser about embracing life in your later years. Emma Simmonds from The List said "the joie de vivre of these convention-defying pensioners is ultimately irresistible."
Louise Keller from Urban Cinefile said "Finding Your Feet .... has a heart of solid gold". James Mottram from Total Film said "Its love-in-later-life insights are well-worn, but with Staunton on song, Richard Loncraine's film mines genuine feeling". In another positive review, The Film Blog called Finding Your Feet "A Billy Elliot for Seniors with a meaningful slice of warmth and humour".