Wendy Hiller is one of my all time favourite actresses and in this she shines as an aging countess interviewed for a then-and-now piece in a magazine. Her daughter, Konstanze, played by Zoe Wannamaker, urges her to revisit her dead husband's home in Germany where Konstanze was born. Alice refuses but Konnie goes anyway and a whole chestload of secrets tumbles out. Never sentimental, the film reflects a rare adult glimpse at a mother and daughter relationship. This should be shown more often, it is a true delight. 9 out of 10.
3 Reviews
The secrets that emerge out of nowhere.
mark.waltz7 December 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Two legendary British actresses (Wendy Hiller and Zoe Wanamaker, born in New York City but raised in England) play an unforgettable mother and daughter pairing, loving but troubled as the years go by because of Hiller's determination to keep the past secret. When Hiller's past as a dancer and model brings her back to the public eye, Wanamaker decides to visit her homeland of Germany where her mother was married to the German count father she doesn't remember.
Reporter Duncan Bell spends time with the sweet but quietly proud Dame Wendy, prying into Wanamaker's private letters while alone. She finds a graveyard on the grounds of Hiller's former German countryside home which brings up questions and a shocking revelation.
The performances by these great actresses really guide this completely dignified drama which without flashbacks takes the viewer onto the darkness of the last days of World War II and an insight into the mindset of an aging great lady with a bit more feistiness than what the viewer sees from her dignified demeanor.
With her aging model friends coming from a funeral, she gets to be subtly blue in her humor, giving the impression that this quiet, lovely woman knew how to kick up her heels without regrets. Wanamaker really strives to find the difficulty her character has in finding understanding for her mother, giving the indication that a lot of quiet suffering and sacrifice had to be made, making Hiller really a great hero who risked a lot during one of the darkest periods of modern history.
Reporter Duncan Bell spends time with the sweet but quietly proud Dame Wendy, prying into Wanamaker's private letters while alone. She finds a graveyard on the grounds of Hiller's former German countryside home which brings up questions and a shocking revelation.
The performances by these great actresses really guide this completely dignified drama which without flashbacks takes the viewer onto the darkness of the last days of World War II and an insight into the mindset of an aging great lady with a bit more feistiness than what the viewer sees from her dignified demeanor.
With her aging model friends coming from a funeral, she gets to be subtly blue in her humor, giving the impression that this quiet, lovely woman knew how to kick up her heels without regrets. Wanamaker really strives to find the difficulty her character has in finding understanding for her mother, giving the indication that a lot of quiet suffering and sacrifice had to be made, making Hiller really a great hero who risked a lot during one of the darkest periods of modern history.
An excellent drama - needs to be re-broadcast so more viewers can be exposed to good acting.
Fluffy-1710 October 2001
The story revolves around a proud, haughty, aged mother, her world-weary daughter and long buried secrets. Dame Wendy Hiller is perfect as the widowed countess who, as a young woman, defied her family and married against their wishes. Now living in shabby gentility in London, she has an uneasy relationship with her middle-aged daughter, played by Zoe Wanamaker. A magazine editor does an article on the lives of the countess and some of her elderly contemporaries, thereby opening a Pandora's Box of surprises.
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