Dominated, mothered and bossed about by the woman in his life and with an inability to assert himself, regarded as something of a pushover and yet the central figure in Four Mothers is not Prince Harry but YA novelist Edward (James McCardle) a full time carer for his wheel chair bound mother Alma (Fionnula Flanagan). Having suffered from a stroke she bosses him around using an ipad’s digital voice app like some malevolent matriarchal Stephen Hawking.
It’s a role reversal of care roles established right from the start as he Edward his mother choose a dress to wear that day. Set in Ireland Edward is a single thirty something gay man whose YA novels are about same sex romances and have gained popularity on social media and his publishers are keen to get him to do a US book tour. It’s the breakthrough Edward needs but it is beset by the issue of having to put his mum in a care home while he tours the US. Desperate to do so and yet he just can’t bring himself to do it. His indecision and inability to assert himself is taken advantage of further by his three friends who go for a jolly in Spain on a Pride march and dump their three mothers with Edward too leaving sharp tongued Jean (Dearbhla Molloy), prim and proper Maude (Stella McCusker) and wannabe bohemian Rosey (Paddy Glynn) — in his care with his own mother forming an unholy Gaelic version of The Golden Girls. And into all this is thrown Edward’s unresolved desire to reunite with his ex Raf (Gaetan Garcis) that’s clearly never going to happen.
Edward’s in a quandry that only he can release himself where he is going to have to take responsibility for his own life and desires. It’s a topic that might ring true for many – how do you care for those closest to you but not at the expense of your own independence.
Partly a remake of 2008’s ‘Mid August Lunch’ and presumably partly inspired by co-writer and director Darren Thornton own experience but Four Mothers has its melancholy moments balanced by some amusing moments most notably Niamh Cusack’s medium who they visit for a consultation.
At 89 minutes with a small cast this is intimate and is sympathetically played by all even in the most outrageous moments in what is a slight but charming film.
related feature : Daniel Craig stars in, ‘Queer’
related feature : ‘Red White and Royal Blue’ World premiere at London’s IMAX as introduced by director Matthew Lopez
Here’s the Four Mothers trailer…..
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