The War Bride (2001)

Directed by: Lyndon Chubbuck | 107 minutes | drama, romance | Actors: Anna Friel, Brenda Fricker, Aden Young, Julie Cox, Loren Dean, Molly Parker, Schyler McLaren, Gabrielle McLaren, Caroline Cave, Keeley Gainey, Claudie Blakley, Benjamin Boyd, Dorothy A. Haug, Petina Hapgood

On September 7, 1940, the Nazis began an ongoing series of bombing raids on London, dubbed the London Blitz. Most of the population refused to flee and for many weeks 177,000 people hid in the underground stations of the London Underground. A third of the city was destroyed, 30,000 people were killed. Canadian and American soldiers came to London to help the British in their fight against the Nazis. In their scarce free hours they amused themselves with the local female beauty. One thing led to another: During World War II, while the men fought at the front, nearly 50,000 young women moved from Britain to Canada. They had often just married their Canadian soldier when they left their home and hearth to seek adventure in a new country. From that moment on, a life of uncertainty began, because will they ever see their husband alive again? ‘The War Bride’ (2001) is about those kinds of women. Screenwriter Angela Workman based herself on the experiences of her mother, who went through it herself.

Lily (Anna Friel) is a young Londoner who earns her money in a sewing workshop, Charlie (Aden Young) is a Canadian soldier about to be sent to the front. Sparks fly during a party in a bar in the middle of the London Blitz. The two fall hopelessly in love and decide to get married after a few days. After all, it is urgent, because Charlie can be sent to the front at any moment. In the following period they only see each other once, during his leave. That one time is enough for Lily to get pregnant. Not much later, she and her friend Sophie (Julie Cox), who is married to Charlie’s maidservant Louie (Ben Weinberger), receive an invitation to Canada. Hopeful, Lily heads west with her daughter Lindy in search of a new adventure. Once in Canada she is disappointed. Charlie’s family is penniless and lives on a dilapidated and remote farm where there is nothing to do. The reception is far from warm, in fact, her embittered mother-in-law (Brenda Fricker) and self-pity wallowing sister-in-law Sylvia (Molly Parker) have nothing to do with Lily and her urban habits. In the conservative village, the licentious British are looked down upon. Lily tries her best to make something out of it, but she can’t seem to do anything right in the eyes of her new relatives. She begins to doubt whether she made the right decision. The only one who treats her kindly is Joe (Loren Dean), the local handyman and best friend of Charlie. The jealous Sylvia watches with sorrow as the two grow closer to each other.

The story of ‘The War Bride’ reads like a (cheap) historical novel. The intrigue almost seems to fly out of control, but luckily director Lyndon Chubbuck pulls the brakes in time. The film stands up partly due to the convincing acting performances of the entire cast. Anna Friel plays the role of the spirited go-getter Lily, who does her utmost to please her in-laws. The warm-blooded and outgoing young woman brings life to the brewery of the Puritan Canadian countryside. The contrast with her mother-in-law and sister-in-law is enormous, although little by little Lily manages to thaw them. Both appear to have to deal with their own frustrations and pains. Veteran Brenda Fricker, who once won an Oscar for her role in ‘My Left Foot’ (1989), and Molly Parker put in great performances, but it’s really Friel who steals the show. It is remarkable that Lily can go about her business undisturbed, she hardly seems to have to worry about her daughter. Here and there the child appears for a moment, but otherwise we have no idea where she has gone. Still a major continuity error. ‘The War Bride’ looks like a ‘true Wednesday night movie’, even though there is clear attention to the decoration of the sets and the cast. That actually also applies to the story, which has a soapy character. However, that does not alter the fact that Lyndon Chubbuck has made a compelling film that will certainly appeal to the romantics among us. Anna Friel is in top form and the other actors also deliver good performances. ‘The War Bride’ may not be a high-flyer, but it still has enough to keep you interested for the full 103 minutes. This is one of the reasons why we round up the assessment.