Hope Gap shows what can happen when a marriage ends
<p>A couple's visit with their son in the quaint seaside town of Seaford in England, takes a dramatic turn when the father tells him he plans on leaving his mother.</p>
<p><span>As well-trodden as this subject might be, there’s still something terribly compelling about watching the end of a marriage play out on screen. Annette Bening plays the woman whose life crumbles as her husband leaves her and Bill Nighy plays the husband. </span>Josh O'Connor plays the couple's son.</p>
<p>This drama is tastefully restrained to a fault in a particularly British manner. Veteran screenwriter William Nicholson, a two-time Oscar nominee, based the film on his Tony-nominated play <em>The Retreat from Moscow</em> – shows his talents here.</p>
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<p>The title of the film was inspired by Napoleon’s invasion of—and messy withdrawal from—the Russian city, a subject which fascinates Nighy’s character and serves as an obvious metaphor for the destruction of his own marriage.</p>
<p><span>It’s obvious we have all the makings of a genuine story here in </span><em>Hope Gap</em><span> but some reviewers have said the film doesn't have the emotional depth for the areas being covered. </span></p>
<p><span>As well, Annette Bening has come in for some criticism about her ill</span>-fitting British accent. But there are glimmers of insight along the way, particularly in how Grace (Bening’s character) compares a divorce to a murder and how spurned women are devalued in comparison with widows.</p>
<p>Throughout the story, we're served up some stunning coastal vistas from Seaford which is close to Brighton in southern England. <em>Hope Gap</em> is worth it if just for these vistas and the great performances from Nighy and Bening.</p>
<p><em><strong>Hope Gap</strong></em><strong> is streaming now on Amazon Prime.</strong></p>
<p><em>Photo: Amazon Prime</em></p>
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