Having been widowed myself I tend to avoid movies about grief, and widows in particular. Yet there was something different about the movie blurb about After Love. For one thing the lead actress was fast becoming a personal favourite, but more importantly the movie explored the ‘wronged woman’ story through a premise I’d not seen before. So off I went, tissues in bag.
Mary Hussain’s (Joanna Scanlan) marriage to Ahmed (Nasser Memarzia) was loving and strong. The depth of their union on show every day through her conversion to Islam. By day Ahmed captained one of the Dover to Calais ferries. Sometimes he stayed over in Calais.
One day as Mary prepared the evening meal in the kitchen, Ahmed quietly passed away in the lounge.
As any widow knows there comes a time when you have to sort out your partners things. What to donate, what cannot be parted with and what remains in limbo somewhere in between? Inevitably somewhere in the process a nagging thought lingers. What if you find something that completely changes what you knew about your partner? And so it was for Mary.
Newly widowed Mary discovers a number of text messages on Ahmed’s phone. Her loving husband of so many years had a secret life.
Sure this isn’t a new premise but how she handles it is.
With little effort she tracks down the recipient of the love notes. Genevieve (Natalia Richard). A woman living in Calais. What to do?
With little more than a carry on bag Mary boards the Dover to Calais ferry and after checking into a hotel, finds herself standing on the Genevieve’s doorstep.
After knocking several times Mary is just about to leave when a voice behind her enquires whether she is the cleaner. Another sliding doors moment awaits. Should Mary stick to the original plan or stay undercover and gain a peak into Ahmed’s other life?
After Love the movie is a tender realistic portrayal of grief, family, love and the choices we make wrapped up in the tension of a good thriller. It’s like secretly reading someone’s diary. I can see why it has been nominated for four BAFTA Awards.
Anyone who has lost a partner will recognise the small details: the simple act of making a cup of tea; the smell of their shirts; repeatedly playing old phone messages. The use of subtitles is very clever as we are let into secrets while non French speaking Mary isn’t. Joanna Scanlan continues to delight with her wide range of successful character portrayals.
Surprisingly not a tissue was harmed during the viewing of this movie, unheard of.
Rating 4.5/5
For more information go to Perth Festival
