For Kelly
Tragedy strikes a small group of friends, the stoic but broke Kate (Jenny Seagrove), the comfortable in her life general practitioner Liz (Sally Phillips) and the token American, Cassie (Kelly Preston), an aging actress, when Anna (Andrea Corr) dies of cancer leaving behind her daughter Maddie (Elizabeth Dormer-Phillips) and her mother (Judi Dench) to continue traveling through space without her light to guide them. Anna’s final wish is for her friends to take her daughter to the Cathedral of Santa Maria of Palma in Spain to see the Light of God. With prepaid train tickets, the group of women embark on a trip to give their friends’ daughter a glimpse of the woman her mother was when she was younger.
Maddie is dealing with her mother’s passing as best she can but the problem is her chaperones are making things difficult. With Kate’s financial woes and her stubbornness when it comes to men and dating, Liz being blissfully unaware of the marital problems that await her when she gets back to England and Cassie trying to find happiness in her career while battling her ex for custody of her child. With the wind in their backs and wine in their bellies, they embark on a trip that will remind them all that life doesn’t end when you hit a certain age and that there is so much more out there for them to discover.
It’s terrible that it takes death to bring people together, but sometimes it’s just the kick people need to put away their neurosis and see what’s really important in life. When a child loses a parent at a young age, things get put into perceptive. These women learn about what’s important in life by getting out of their comfort zones and go on a wild journey like they did when they were young, ambitious and had nothing to fear.
Jules Williamson in her narrative feature film directorial debut and written by Jordan Waller, take us on a fun, fluffy romp through the beautiful European landscape and reminds us that you’re never too young and its never too late to go for the things you want or to change the trajectory of your life. Hold on tight to the friendships you form, they will be the most important people who take your hand and walk with you through the hard times and sing Blondie with you at karaoke bar with a bunch of drag queens.
Reviewed January 23, 2022 (screener provided by Screen Media Films). Rating: M. Running time: 94 min.
PRODUCTION: A Screen Media Films release of a Bill Kenwright Films & Black Camel Pictures production. Producers: Bill Kenwright & Arabella Page Croft. Executive producers: Naomi George, Steve Potts, Daniel Shepherd, Sarah Sulick & Trent Walton.
CREW: Director: Jules Williamson. Writing: Jordan Waller. Editing: Malcolm Crowe. Cinematography: Mike Eley. Music: Mario Grigorov.
CAST: Jenny Seagrove, Sally Phillips, Kelly Preston, Peter Bowles, Andrea Corr, Judi Dench, Elizabeth Dormer-Phillips, Ben Miller, Franco Nero & Martin Shaw.