This film is based on the novel of the same name and it probably worked better as a book, when the languorous descriptions could be appreciated. The seminal event takes place on Mother’s Day, 1924, when a young housekeeper (Odessa Young) takes the day off to meet up with her secret lover (Josh O’Connor), who’s upper crust, of course. Their encounter (with lots of nudity) comprises a large chunk of the time and moves so slowly. The expected scandal doesn’t develop, but it does inspire her later writing career (featuring Glenda Jackson in that role). This film’s giant flaw is the glacier pacing. Every scene drags on much longer than needed with pauses that induce nodding off. The cast also includes British stalwarts as Olivia Colman and Colin Firth (who each get one big scene) and all of the performances are expectedly strong. The studied observations probably worked in print, but their translation to the screen is just tedious. 
(2 / 5)
