Finding Your Feet Reminds Ageing Brits that you’re Never too Old
Following in the footsteps of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and Le Week-End, Richard Loncraine’s Finding Your Feet projects a mostly heart-warming story-line with an array of tragic subplots – an allegorical representation of old-age perhaps.
A Local Production
Ice Film provided all the camera gear for this production and our local boroughs of Camden, Islington and Highgate provided the majority of the scenery. Charlie (Timothy Spall) lives in a barge Just down the canal from our waterside offices and Bif (Celia Imrie) takes a dip in the swimming ponds on Hampstead Heath more than once throughout the film.
You’re Never Too Old
For a long time, older characters in films played bit-part roles amongst dominant young casts and Finding Your Feet certainly breaks the trend. The only young character is the enthusiastic dance teacher Corrina (Indra Ove) who appears sporadically within a narrative that revolves around a community of retired men and women.
The core plot is a simple one, Sandra (Imelda Staunton) moves to her sisters flat in London after splitting with her husband and has to adjust to the less glamorous but more free and fun lifestyle of dance classes, romance and barge parties.
Timothy Spall plays the gruff old mechanic but rather than conform to the masculine stereotype he comes across as an emotional and open character, hugging his friend Ted (David Hayman) when he became overwhelmed with the loss of his wife.
In essence, the film focuses on normal people in the inevitable situation that we all have to face as our body ages. The young minds and youthful enthusiasm of the characters puts across a strong message to show that life in fact can get better with age.
Helping Others Find Their Feet
Imelda Staunton has been vocal in her support of the film as she claims that ageing cinema audiences want to watch films with real people and accomplished dialogue. Audiences are too often let down by the male-dominated film industry that breeds big budget blockbusters revolving around sex, violence and special effects.
Finding Your Feet was voted the best film by audiences at the Palm Springs film festival in January and there is an ongoing collaboration between the producers and distributors with Age UK to set up dance groups across the country.
Donations were also made to the Rodney Estate residents, where the two protagonists live in the film, and to Monro House Sheltered Housing. We are extremely proud to have played a part in this great production and we would urge anyone to settle down on their sofa with a bag of popcorn and a cup of tea to watch this heart-wrenching but also heart-warming British film.
Finding Your Feet is now available to watch on Amazon Instant Video and is due to come out on DVD in early July.
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