In a sentenceBrenda Blethyn does the difficult work while everyone waits for the cannabis to be funny again
Grace Trevethyn (Brenda Blethyn) presents a capable housewife’s face to the people around her, while pain and frustration press beneath it. She finds friendship with Matthew Steward (Craig Ferguson), with Dr. Martin Bamford (Martin Clunes) among the wider company. Cannabis and the behaviour of English people getting stoned bring their composed appearances into question. Grace tries to maintain her composure amid eccentric encounters, while her friendship with Matthew provides some companionship away from the commotion. Their relationship sits at the centre of a crime comedy about people whose respectable manners do not exclude less respectable behaviour.
Brenda Blethyn gives Saving Grace enough feeling to justify its familiar jokes, but only just. The friendship works; the cannabis comedy grows thin, and Nigel Cole’s farce becomes less convincing as it gets busier.
Nigel Cole’s Saving Grace is an amiable crime comedy with a better central performance than its cannabis jokes deserve. It asks us to enjoy respectable people behaving improperly, a serviceable invitation which the script keeps extending after we have accepted it. For admirers of Brenda Blethyn, there is enough warmth here to justify an undemanding evening, though the thin plotting makes that recommendation a qualified one. At 93 minutes, it still finds time to repeat itself.
Brenda Blethyn plays Grace Trevethyn with a useful reluctance to advertise the joke. The capable-housewife manner is funny because she gives it effort and purpose, while allowing pain and irritation to interfere with the smooth running of it. We were moved by the strain she lets show beneath that composure; getting through the day briefly matters more than being amusing. Her restraint encourages us to care about this woman even when the writing seems content to find her quaint.
Craig Ferguson, as Matthew Steward, gives her a friendship that feels easy without being empty. Their scenes have an ordinary sweetness, and the film is at its most agreeable when it lets the two of them enjoy each other’s company. Martin Clunes, playing Dr. Martin Bamford, also helps the ensemble remain companionable when the comedy begins to labour. We would happily spend longer with these people if the script were less anxious to keep proving how eccentric they are.
Craig Ferguson and Mark Crowdy’s screenplay is less assured about what to do once its comic premise has been established. The repeated business of English people getting stoned offers diminishing returns, particularly when the supposed surprise is simply that such people are doing it at all. Editor Alan Strachan keeps the film moving briskly, but the repetition makes the writing feel padded despite the short running time. Moving promptly to another familiar set-up does not solve the problem.
John de Borman’s cinematography and Eve Stewart’s production design suit the comedy’s gentleness, though the resulting cosiness can feel insistent. There is little in the presentation to unsettle the comfortable view of these people, which makes the eccentricity feel rather carefully managed. Mark Russell’s music contributes to that agreeable mood without making the repeated jokes any livelier. All this reassurance works against the pain and frustration that Brenda Blethyn brings to Grace Trevethyn.
As an Ealing-style farce, the film knows the value of a likeable ensemble but falls short on the workings of the plot. The later escalation makes the comedy feel more effortful, without developing the joke much further. We do not need to describe where it goes to say that the quieter exchanges are more rewarding. There is a decent evening here for those drawn to the cast rather than the crime. Choose it for Brenda Blethyn, and keep expectations of the farce modest.
The reviews lean towards mixed or negative, with Brenda Blethyn’s performance providing the clearest point of agreement. Critics repeatedly credit her with keeping the comedy engaging, finding both comic energy and hints of pain beneath Grace’s capable exterior. The supporting cast also earns praise, as does the sweetness of the friendship between Blethyn and Craig Ferguson’s characters. Even several unenthusiastic reviews find some charm in the film’s gentle farce.
The divide concerns how far that charm carries it. More receptive critics find an amiable, controlled comedy; others find the familiar situations twee, the cannabis jokes repetitive and the script padded. Several reservations centre on a finale described as predictable or overambitious. The spread is wide: Variety stands apart with an enthusiastic response to the droll humour and eccentric ensemble, while The AV Club finds the same comic approach condescending and overly cute.
Leydon calls the film a droll, spirited comedy that should appeal to sophisticated audiences. He particularly praises Brenda Blethyn’s performance and the ensemble’s eccentric comic moments.
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Read the full review →Preston finds the comedy amiable and funny, though it ultimately feels like a cheerful regression. He praises the cast, especially Brenda Blethyn and Martin Clunes, but criticizes the predictable ending.
Read the full review →The review finds the comedy enjoyable and well controlled, though it falters in its farcical ending. It singles out Brenda Blethyn’s measured performance for keeping the film on track.
Read the full review →Westbrook finds the comedy enjoyable but ultimately twee and clichéd, with little new to offer. She praises Brenda Blethyn’s lively performance but criticizes the familiar comic setups and the overambitious finale.
Read the full review →Smith gives the comedy a modest rating, describing it as an updated Ealing-style farce. He singles out Brenda Blethyn’s performance in a role reminiscent of Margaret Rutherford’s.
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The Lavender Hill MobRespectable people discover crime, with sharper plotting and similarly mild manners.
Local HeroAnother affectionate gathering of eccentrics, with more room for quiet disappointment.
Big Deal on Madonna Street · not reviewed yetAmateur criminals struggle with practicalities in a less forgiving comic setting.
The Castle · not reviewed yetHousehold pride and stubborn optimism give this modest comedy its force.
Le Havre · not reviewed yetNeighbourly loyalty makes breaking the law seem the sensible thing to do.
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