Albatross (15)

Starring: Jessica Brown Findlay, Felicity Jones

Anthony Quinn
Friday 14 October 2011 00:00 BST
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Niall MacCormick's debut feature has a puppyish eagerness that doesn't quite deliver.

In a town on the South Coast (it's really the Isle of Man) free-spirited Emelia (Jessica Brown Findlay) causes havoc when she takes a cleaning job at a family-run hotel. She bonds straightaway with Oxbridge hopeful Beth (Felicity Jones), but incites fearful ructions between Beth's writer father (Sebastian Koch) and her ex-actress mum (Julia Ormond). Emelia, from a "no-parent family", believes herself to be a descendant of Arthur Conan Doyle, though the film is mysteriously slow in getting round to a conversation on the subject with her grandfather (Peter Vaughan). And her choice of a creative writing tutor is frankly incredible. Brown Findlay, known to millions as Lady Sybil from Downton Abbey, roughs up nicely as a wild child, but Tamzin Rafn's script, despite the occasional acid bon mot, needs to be a good deal tighter – and truer.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in