Running time: 108 minutes
Starring: Helen Mirren, Julie Walters, Annette Crosbie, Celia Imrie, John Alderton, Penelope Wilton, Geraldine James, Philip Glenister
Rating 5 out of 10
In making a film about a controversial moment in the revered W.I.'s history, the producers and director of Calendar Girls have come up with something a bit like the image we have of the Women's Institute itself: gentle, harmless and a bit bland. Recounting the recent tale of a group of ordinary women's attempt to raise money for charity through a nude calendar might have seemed like a good idea on paper. However, this is not the female Full Monty. Mirren and Walters star as the two very ordinary women who conceive the idea when one becomes a widower. Local titillation spreads into national interest and soon the girls are being whisked off to the chat shows of Hollywood for their five minutes of fame. The trouble is, and this becomes apparent early on in some unnecessarily overlong development, that nothing really exciting happens along the way.
Sure there is some drama: but of the lightweight TV kind rather than a feature. John Alderton gives a touching performance as the dying husband, Mirren and Walters eventually fall out when celebrity dawns, and Mirren has some rather far-fetched issues at home to deal with. But all in all there is nothing to grab the viewer looking for a decent dramatic story.
Most of the interest of course will rest on the nude scenes, and these are well handled by both cast and crew. The girls are all admirable in their gusto at giving it a go, and the likes of Celia Imrie and Annette Crosbie help to round out a talented cast with a comic touch.
The cinematography too is of note, nicely contrasting the expanse of the Yorkshire Dales with the harsher lights of Hollywood. However, many of the scenes do drag and there is a definite lack of pace running through most of the overlong 108 minutes.
The film may have appeal for those curious to know how the story ended (it more or less petered out), or for those seeking some minor titillation. But most viewers will leave the cinema feeling there is little they have learned that they didn't know already. Women of substance they may have been, but that is what the film is distinctly lacking.
