Often little attention, because hardly visible, they may be the real hero of everyday life: women and men who care for their relatives. According to the current figures of the Federal Statistical Office, 5.7 million people are in need of care in Germany – and around 86 percent of them are cared for at home, more than three quarters of their relatives. These figures are likely to develop similarly in many other European countries, including in Ireland, where “”Four mothers for Edward“Play. Director Darren Thornton, who wrote the script together with his brother Colin Thornton, succeeds in laughing and crying – and even both in the best moments.
Suddenly Edward (James Mcardle) not only has to take care of one, but also for four mothers in need of care …
For Edward (James McArtle) it is a matter of course that he supplies his mother Alma (Fionnula Flanagan). It has not been able to speak since a stroke, instead communication runs through a tablet with a voice output. But she alone is no longer able to cope with Edward and cooks for her, he drives her to doctor's dates and in the church, is always there for her when she needs him. He is a writer, still lives in his parents' house – and dreams of the literary breakthrough, which he hopes to reach with his progressive youth books. At the moment it looks quite good – he could soon start a reading trip through the United States. If it weren't for his mother, because he can't leave her alone.
She needs him and she relies on him. Around the clock. And with that, Edward is not alone. Like his best friends who also look after their mothers, Edward is gay. He is also extremely gentle and patient, and it almost inevitably follows that it is exploited. Not from Alma, who would not even be aware of this, but actually from his friends, who quickly park their mothers with him because they even break up for the spontaneous pride weekend after Maspalomas. So Edward becomes an unintentionally and unwanted to the supervisor and carer of four very different old women, while his friends have a lot of fun …
A real crowd stop
According to motifs of Italian film “The Feast in August”, the Irish director Darren Thornton (“A Date for Mad Mary”) created a crowd pleaser in the best sense of the word. And not because the sausage is thrown on the bacon side (for vegans: with the tofu after the Seitan), but above all because the most beautiful sides of the comedy meet with deep feelings and dramatic involvement – but always without the risk that the story could not have a happy ending. So with a lot of wit and charm, but little emotion. Edward is the central figure – a lovable, self -sacrificing son and an equally tolerant friend, whereby over long distances remains unclear whether he is able to make decisions as a King of coherence.
He definitely has a helper syndrome, and that seems to overlay. Although he is already going on forty, he has apparently not yet found his place in life, and after all, in case of doubt, he always has the good excuse that he finally has to take care of his mother. For a long time it remains completely unclear what was actually there first. Not the hen or egg, but Edwards problem to assert himself, or his tendency to wait and just let things happen. It is also nice that the topic of homosexuality in this film is not problematic, but is conveyed as a natural part of life and personality.
While her sons enjoy Gran Canaria, the mothers left behind also dare to go out …
James Mcardle plays the Edward absolutely brilliantly in his first big film role: a likeable boy with a gentle look, filled with the thought of doing good, and not for a guilty conscience, but from the need to be useful, and if necessary until self -abandonment. For him it is very a matter of course to forget his own needs to help his mother and to be her service. His sense of duty is so great that he forgets everything else. As expected, he can also be commanded by the old women. But in fact, his four protected people almost notice that he may need more help than themselves. So the long weekend, which his buddies spend with a lot of alcohol and in scarce panties in the sunny south, will not only for Edward for the stress test, but at some point for self -discovery therapy with four rather strange but efficient therapists.
Edwards Four replacement mothers act like four Irish, that is, rather Catholic, rather conservative but adorable variants of the Golden Girls. In principle, they cover the entire range of what older women and mothers distinguishes or, as disturbing to them, they cover each of them: bodies, oversurance and conservatism are just as much a part of it as the typical signs of aging in the form of forgetfulness, stubbornness and desire. However, this also includes her sometimes snappy humor, her wisdom and good observation. These four are not only a terrible quartet of advanced motherhood, but they are all so lovable and personable at the same time that you want to forgive them all cross rackets immediately. Even Alma turns out to be quite capable of learning and thus ensures one of the few clear handkerchief moments of the film, otherwise the humor predominates. Despite the lively soundtrack, the film, which is mostly gentle colors, is a comedy, which is more of a sophisticated joke – more to smile and giggle than to roar.
Conclusion: A pretty well -being comedy that – viewed superficially – revolves around the relationship between mothers and sons. In truth, it is about power and dependency and the need to recognize this problem in order to break away from it. And of course it is about Ireland, where belief in ghosts is almost as important as the Catholic Church. Maybe even more important.