The day of her party arrives, and Clarissa (Vanessa Redgrave) feels somewhat uneasy. Her husband, a politician (John Standing), has abandoned her for a lunch meeting on this significant occasion, prompting her to go out for flowers before discovering an unexpected guest upon her return. Peter (Michael Kitchen) brings with him shared history, and as the story progresses, we see glimpses of their past through flashbacks featuring Alan Cox and Natascha McElhone portraying their younger versions. These moments reveal the progression toward pivotal decisions and choices that one or both might now regret. The film also provides a gentle depiction of the political climate in Britain shortly after World War I—the decline of the landed gentry’s power, the growing role of women, shifting politics, and the fading of traditional respect are all incorporated as Clarissa worries about her party and its preparations. Separately, there's a more engaging narrative with Rupert Graves portraying Septimus Warren Smith, a man struggling to readjust to civilian life after experiencing shell shock from the war. This distress affects his wife (Amelia Bullmore), who isn’t receiving adequate support from psychiatrist Sir William Bradshaw (Robert Hardy). Overall, this is an impressive-looking production showcasing many well-known British actors, but Redgrave's performance occasionally feels slow and, apart from the emotionally intense scenes involving Graves, the film's momentum struggles to move beyond a leisurely pace as it presents what I found to be a rather uninspired look at the lives of characters I didn’t particularly connect with. It is agreeable enough and represents the kind of movie Britain often excels at making, but it lacks depth in terms of character development.

Source on TMDB