Mrs Caldicot's Cabbage War (DVD)

Author's product rating:   

Did you enjoy it?	Loved it
Story	Good
Characters / Performances	Good
Special Effects	Unmemorable
How does it compare to similar films?	Satisfactory

Advantages:	-
Disadvantages:	-

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

After the death of her controlling husband in a freak cricketing accident, Thelma Caldicott realises that her life as the 'little woman' is over . She celebrates being out from under his thumb by cutting up his golf clubs, beheading his prized blooms, and donating his collection of vintage wine to the milkman to distribute on his rounds .

Unfortunately, this gives her money grabbing sun and his equally greedy wife a good excuse to trick her into an old peoples home, and out of her inheritance - informing the doctor they think she is losing it, he dopes her up and packs her off into an old peoples home, despite her protestations, where her son further tricks her by taking advantage of her medicated state to make her sign over the deeds to her home .

Coming out of her medicinal haze, Thelma Caldicott realises what has happened, and tries to escape the old peoples home, which is run for the profit of the owners and not the comfort of the patients . However, when escape proves unlikely, assisted by her new friends, she embarks on a series of escapades to bring fun back into their lives .

Will Thelma ever escape from the Twilight Years rest home ? Will her son stop trying to fleece her ? And will the oily rest home manager get his comeuppance ?

This film is a light hearted comedy with a cast of mainly older actors and actresses . The characters are very amusing, and I found myself really rooting for the grey rinse brigade every time they staged another mutiny . That said, I do think some of the characters are a bit like caricatures , for example the rest home manager feasting on lobster while the inmates at the home eat boiled cabbage, yet again .

There's no swearing, fast paced action , special effect madness or lewdness in this film, which makes a refreshing change - it's just a simply made film that relies on a decent storyline and some great acting . I doubt it would appeal to everyone, being rather slow in pace, but I very much enjoyed watching the oldies antics on screen - although I sincerely hope no home out there is as bad as Twilight Years .

The plot is by turns amusing and sad - whilst being amused by the antics of the oldies, I found myself saddened by their treatment in the home, and while I'm sure it was highly exaggerated for comedic purposes, it did make me think about the locking away of old people in homes they may not be happy in . I think occasionally this sadder undercurrent stopped some of the comedy moments being quite as funny as they might have been , and it wastes many golden opportunities for laughs in favour of a tug on the heartstrings .

Overall though, I liked this movie - while it was a little slow paced, and was more mildly amusing than out and out hilarious, it's a great story where the underdog triumphs in the end. Exactly the kind of sentimental stuff I love . I don't think everyone will like it, and would probably recommend borrowing it if you can rather than buying it, but I still think it's a good film worth the watch .