Romantic comedy fans and opera lovers will enjoy this film set in the tiny Scottish village of Drumbuehan, surrounded by spectacular mountain scenery.
Millie Cantwell (Danielle Macdonald) is a successful fund manager with a well-paid job and an attractive and tolerant live-in partner Charlie (Shazad Latif), who is also her boss. Out of the blue at a company meeting she turns down a promotion, to instead fulfil her dream of being a professional opera singer, announcing she will take a year off to find out if this is possible.
She is advised by Rosa (Rebecca Benson) to go to Megan Geoffrey-Bishop (Joanna Lumley, at her Ab Fab best) for vocal lessons – describing her as “a little unorthodox” – she is a former opera diva with a fearsome reputation.
Millie is the one guest staying at The Filthy Pig,the only hotel in the village, and the centre of social life. It is run by Ramsay Macfadyen (Gary Lewis) where a sullen Max Thistlewaite (Hugh Skinner) works as a waiter, chef, plumber and every other thing. He is the only other student of many years with Megan.
Megan accepts Millie as a student, charging her enormous fees, saying “I’m taking you on as a challenge”. She treats both her students with disdain, but underneath her hard Mad Diva visage there is pleasure in watching her students improve their talent.
Maggie and Max are both enter Singers of Renown, a competition where the winner receives a contract with an opera company. Max has been runner up several times and is not pleased with the attention paid to Millie – but predictably falls in love, manipulated by Megan bringing them together to sing emotional duets staring into one-another’s eyes.
Director and writer Ben Lewin (The Sessions) took only two months to make this film. Award winning Polish-born Australian film and TV composer Cezary Skubiszewski put together the sound track of beautiful music. Milli’s singing was dubbed by Australian-Mauritian opera singer Stacey Alleaume.
It was produced by Screen Australia, Screen Scotland and Film Australia.
Committed performances by the actors, humour and beautiful music – what’s not to like?
104 minutes.
Showing at Luna Leederville, Windsor Nedlands and Luna SX Fremantle from July 14th.
Watch the trailer…
