I feel very ungracious about this film, because I wanted to love it ... and really expected it to be so much better than it was. It stars some truly marvellous actresses, and has been given so much hype and advance publicity, I was genuinely expecting something great. But it turned out to be (in the main) a crushing disappointment.
The main problem is the screenplay. It's not funny. There are a few great comic moments and gems that give you an insight into what the film could have been, but the end result suffers dreadfully by not having the original choice of screenwriter - Victoria Wood. It panders too much to Hollywood tastes, and lacks the sparkle and eloquent wit of Wood's comedy. Why, oh why didn't they allow her to write the screenpay?
Another issue I have is casting. Helen Mirren is a great actress but here she is woefully miscast - unfunny, out of place and far too over-the-top - cold even. Plus her Yorkshire accent (and I should know, being a native!) is all over the place. Julie Walters and Celia Imrie are the real heart and soul of this film - warm and down-to-earth - but for some bizarre reason they (especially Celia) are given little to do and not stretched. This is a shame.
The main strength of this film, however, is its representation of women, and it's emphasis upon female friendship. I applaud the 'calendar shooting' scenes because AT LAST here we have a plethora of real women, with wrinkles, cellulite and no re-touching. Great. They all look fab. That I love. But what really is such a shame is the lack of humour, the terrible ending (the meandering final few scenes in Hollywood are so badly written and have absolutely no point) and the pandering to American audiences. What we have here is a kind of painting by numbers, 'how to make a heart warming Yorkshire comedy' which does work in some instances, but is (overall) a real disappoinment. But I expect the Yorkshire tourist board is pleased!
