108. Military Wives; movie review

MILITARY WIVES
Cert 12A
113 mins
BBFC advice: Contains infrequent strong language, moderate sex references

Mrs W can't sing.. at all. But she really really wants to and, consequently, we have experienced toe-curlingly embarrassing or utterly hilarious nights out, depending which way you look at it.
We thought nobody could possibly compare to her until we saw Lara Rossi's tone-deaf character in Military Wives.
She prompted gales of laughter from our seats in screen 8 of Nottingham Cineworld.
Indeed, Military Wives is just as 'feel-good' as its poster suggests. The best compliment I can give is that it reminded me of Brassed Off.
Why? Because it demonstrates indomitable spirit in the face of extreme adversity while giving us a jolly good giggle.
Peter Cattaneo's film stars the ever-reliable Kristin Scott Thomas as Kate, the wife of a colonel (Greg Wise) who is leading a tour of Afghanistan at a very dangerous time.
She has already endured the loss of a son in battle so decides to busy herself by organising the social events of the touring soldiers' partners.
Unfortunately, she is muscling in on the territory of the sergeant major's wife (Sharon Horgan) who had reluctantly assumed the responsibility after his promotion.
Anyway, the two may be at loggerheads of how to entertain the girls but they alight upon singing as the best way forward.
They have very different ideas on the type of music but warbling unifies the lasses and gives the audience a laugh at the same time.
Military Wives isn't 1917 but it does give another angle of war and offers rare consideration of those left behind.
On one hand, they have the same problems as everyone else in bringing up children and running a home while there is a constant fear of the worst news possible.
Cattaneo handles the balance splendidly, creating a movie which provokes discussion as well as a smile.
And then there is the music and the impish humour of the cast.
I defy anyone who watches it not to laugh and, in these dark times of Coronavirus, it is something of a tonic.

Reasons to watch: A genuine feel-good film
Reasons to avoid: A tad cheesy at times

Laughs: Seven
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 8.5/10

Did you know? The mother of Kristin Scott Thomas brought up her children alone after her RAF fighter pilot husband was killed in a jet crash when Kristin was just five. Her mother later married another jet pilot who also died in a plane crash years later.

The final word. Kristin Scott Thomas: "What people don’t realise is that even in peacetime, it’s an incredibly dangerous job. You’re moving pieces of machinery, you’re flying, you’re running, you’re dying on the moors. It is really dangerous. But somebody’s got to do it. Apparently.” Independent

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