Military Wives

This is a version of a review airing on ABC Bendigo on March 16, 2020, and on ABC Radio Ballarat and South West Victoria on March 20, 2020.

(M) ★★★★

Director: Peter Cattaneo.

Cast: Kristin Scott Thomas, Sharon Horgan, Emma Lowndes, Gaby French, Lara Rossi, Amy James-Kelly, India Ria Amarteifio, Laura Checkley, Jason Flemyng, Greg Wise.

Their rendition of Reign In Blood brought the house down.

War films are a dime a dozen - "back at home" films are far less common.

But this is part of what makes Military Wives so fascinating and so empathetic. Yes, it's an entirely predictable film about a group of women coming together to sing, but it's so much more, largely thanks to the situation these women are in, the psychological effects of said situation, and the way the beautifully intelligent script explores all of that with heart and humour.

The film is inspired by the real-life Military Wives Choirs, which exist on British military bases around the world. Through the eyes of two very different women - the uptight Kate (Scott Thomas) and the laidback Lisa (Horgan) - we see the formation of the very first choir during a British army deployment in Afghanistan.

So much of Military Wives plays out exactly as you'd expect - the chalk-and-cheese relationship between Kate and Lisa, various characters' unresolved issues, the possibility of someone's partner dying, and the big public finale. Yet despite its predictability, the film is fascinating, enjoyable and moving.

Much of this comes down to the script by Rachel Tunnard and Rosanne Flynn. It moves quickly, doesn't labour its points, and never talks down to the audience. But best of all, it makes its characters feel real and fully fleshed out quickly and easily. We like these women and understand them in a short amount of time, which gets the audience on board very early on. From there, we're willing to follow them anywhere.

In the hands of Oscar nominee Scott Thomas and a collection of excellent TV talent led by the wonderful Horgan, Tunnard and Flynn's script is delivered deftly. The cast has enough diversity and flexibility to cover all the laughs and loss, which means the humour is gentle but welcome, and the big moments of pathos really hit home.

The film's closest relative in British cinema is The Full Monty, which is not surprising considering Cattaneo directed both. But this is better than its ancestor - the characters are stronger, the emotions are deeper, and the film has more to say in the way it tackles grief, loss, denial, and social isolation, while also digging into the oft-forgotten world of those left behind when the decision-makers force others to go off and fight their wars for them.

Military Wives is not innovative, but it's effective and affecting, which is all you can really ask for, no matter how predictable the story.