A timeless, psychological yet sensual drama, the story depicts the tensions between the longing and the yearning of freedom, between long-standing tradition and radical social change.The story follows the end of an era in 1920 England, the demise of British rule in Ireland and, with it, the passing of an Anglo-Irish aristocracy (the wealthy heirs of English immigrants in Ireland, who sound and appear English, although they consider themselves Irish) that had survived for centuries.
Based on Elizabeth Bowen’s acclaimed novel “The Last September” in an unforgettable portrait of a young woman’s coming of age in a brutalized time and place, where the ordinariness of life floats like music over the impending doom of history. In the heart of a young woman, lies a secret that divides a nation. An elderly couple, Michael Gambon and Maggie Smith, reside over a tired country estate. Living with them are their high-spirited niece (Keeley Hawes), their Oxford student nephew (Jonathan Slinger), and a married couple that visits, adding their own two cents (Lambert Wilson and Jane Birkin), trying to cover up that they are presently homeless.
As with any of these classic British films, it is always the unwanted advice and unexpected house guest (Fiona Shaw) that add to the turmoil of a plot. Maggie “Tea With Mussolini” Smith, delivers her usual right-on performance as Lady Myra, the matriarchal aunt.