Dir: Matt Winn | UK, Comedy satire, 90′
The Trouble with Jessica is of those spiky satires that hangs on a series of conundrums, the characters tossing the ball from one to the other as they scope how each thorny dilemma with ultimately affect them.
It all takes place in the leafy literati village of Hampstead, North London, where Sarah (Shirley Henderson) and Tom (Alan Tidy) have invited a coterie of close friends for a pre-sale last supper in their flashy double-fronted mansion. The dish of the day, a cherry clafoutis (a type of French pudding), features as the star turn, and may be the reason the film won the Audience Award and Special Jury Prize at last year’s Dinard British Film Festival.
Shirley Henderson is terrific as the hard-as-nails hostess Sarah, her husband Tom is an architect. The plot turns on their desperate need to the family house or face financial ruin. Rufus Sewell is a hot shot barrister. Much to Sarah’s annoyance, his wife Beth (Olivia Williams) has brought along her friend Jessica (Indira Varma) who seems to have dated all the men and still carries for them, flirting outrageously. Suddenly, after a seemingly trivial spat, Jessica goes into the garden and hangs herself. What happens next will have you on tenterhooks although the outcome is authentic and satisfying.
Written by Matt Winn and James Handel The Trouble is witty and fun and full of insider gags that may prove less amusing for those unfamiliar with the territory. Let’s say it’s an adult affair for heterosexual highflyers. @MeredithTaylor
NOW ON RELEASE IN FRANCE