A Clever Woman

Two sisters return to the seaside home they once shared with their dead mother. They go through her things, discover long lost childhood toys, find (and sing) songs that she wrote, plan to put together a performance piece about her life...and in doing so, they try to unravel the many mysteries of their much-missed mother. A woman who seemed happy on the surface...but would often burst into tears for no apparent reason. A woman who was in love with her husband...but had a never-ending series of affairs.

'A Clever Woman' is a haunting film which perfectly captures the feeling of rummaging through a dead person's things, desperate to get to know them better, but finding the answers remain out of reach. Josie Lawrence and Tanya Myers are sublime as the sisters, and some of their songs made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Anna Mottram gives a beautiful, wistful performance as a family friend who has come to assist them. The film was improvised (rather than scripted), and it shows. It feels utterly real, more like a documentary than a drama, and I really didn't want it to end. 'A Clever Woman' is beautifully made, touching, tender, and will stay with you forever.