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Four Mothers
[Blu-ray]
Blu-ray B - United Kingdom - British Film Institute Review written by and copyright: James-Masaki Ryan (14th June 2025). |
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The Film
 "Four Mothers" (2024) Edward Brady (played by James McArdle) is an Irish writer on the verge of a big break. His young-adult novel about two young men has been gaining traction through Tiktok and he has just booked a deal with an American publisher. They are set on having Edward promote the book through podcasts and interviews as well as a book signing tour in America, but he is finding it difficult to focus his attention on the success. He is the caretaker of his mother Alma (played by Fionnula Flanagan) who suffered a stroke and lost the ability to speak, as well as having weak legs. His attention is focused on his weak yet tough mother’s well-being, but that only gets complicated as his friends Billy (played by Gordon Hickey), Colm (played by Gearoid Farrelly), and Dermot (played by Rory O’Neill) decide to drop off their mothers at Edward’s home while they selfishly take a trip to a Pride event in the Canary Islands. Now, Edward must take care of four elderly ladies with Jean (played by Dearbhla Molloy), Maude (played by Stella McCusker) and Rosie (played by Paddy Glynn) as well while somehow trying to balance his own life. "Four Mothers" is sometimes credited as being a remake of the 2008 Italian comedy film “Mid-August Lunch”, with a man suddenly having to care for a few elderly women, but while they have similarities, the two films are quite separate in themes and happenings, with the Italian film focused on food greatly while the Irish film is about the gay characters and the complexity of relationships with family and friends. There is also an autobiographical element with "Four Mothers", with director Darren Thornton and his brother, writer Colin Thornton had to care for their mother Trish, who was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) in 2016 and passed away the following year. Film producer Jack Sidey was looking to remake the 2008 Italian hit "Mid-August Lunch" in English, and sent the brothers a copy of the film for consideration. Instead of a straight remake (no pun intended), they decided to create a script that was inspired by the core idea of the story but infuse it with their own experience caring for their mother who was losing her ability to speak and the people that were in and out of their lives. "Four Mothers" at first feels like a slapstick gay comedy, with the banter between Edward and his friends as they look at their sad lives. Gay culture of being out and proud is hot, while they are in their late thirties only watching videos seen by younger male influencers and wishing it could be them, but they lack the spontaneous energy. For Dermot, his situation is a bit different, He is twenty years older than them and led his life as a straight married man until he came out a few years prior. He is still shy about his sexuality and afraid of what might be said by people from his past. For Billy and Colm, it is about regaining the spirit of their youth and finding positivity again at the Pride event. For Dermot it is about finally feeling free for the first time in his life. But of all the people that deserve to be free, it is Edward who finds it to be the most difficult. Alma has difficulty with everyday tasks and she must communicate everything to Edward through her iPad typing everything she needs to say. It’s a tedious task but sometimes a simple message like “I’m hungry” becomes an irritating sound for Edward who is trying to multitask. As for the other mothers who are dumped on him, there is Maude, a devout church goer that has an obsession with attending funerals and giving people comfort, even when she doesn’t know them in person. Jean is the loud-mouthed one who has no qualms of using an F-word every so often and also has a knack for singing. Rosie is an open soul but can be feisty when she wants, and is in an odd online relationship with a man she has never met in person. The four women are not friends or acquaintances, but the situation calls for them to bond together as they have no choice. They can get grumpy and nasty, and somehow Edward has to comply because he also has no choice. It's a juggling journey, as Edward must cook for all of them, rent a bus to drive them around town, get them to the hospital, the church, or anywhere else that they are scheduled to be, while he must be ready for online meetings and podcasts, where his mind and mouth are struggling to find the right words to describe about his own book. Stress and pressure are doubled down with his publishers not being happy with his responses in interviews, but there is only one person that is able to give some level headedness and that is his ex-boyfriend Raf (played by Gaetan Garcia), who tries to let Edward remember who he really is. Unfortunately for Edward, Raf has moved on and is living a happier life with his new boyfriend. "Four Mothers" has a lot of weight to its drama but it is also great with its humorous scenes. There are many moments for pure laughter, but there are also moments that can bring emotional tears. There is a fantastic scene on the bus when Edward is away that the four mothers talk about recalling when they remember their sons coming out to them, bringing laughter through embarrassment and acceptance with smiles. But it is when Maude talks about how even after many years she sometimes feels it hard to accept, that it shows that not all families have the same open attitude toward sexuality. There is also the scene in which they visit a medium and the stories of Edward’s late father are brought up, which shows that there was a major rift between father and son becoming worse than it already was. "Four Mothers" fantastically balances the comedy and drama throughout, and is a crowd pleaser with its characters and situation. The film does not reinvent anything or bring something particularly unique to moviegoing, and may not be the most thought-provoking either. But it tells its story well through its characters with fine performances from all the cast members, and especially with Flanagan having to perform the entire film without the use of her voice. The Thornton brothers’ first feature film "A Date for Mad Mary" from 2016 was a highly acclaimed comedy drama (that interestingly has not had a Blu-ray release anywhere as of 2025) and it took a while for them to produce their second feature, with "Four Mothers", first released in 2024. It premiered at the London Film Festival on October 13th, 2024, followed by festival releases in Chicago, Göteborg, Glasgow, and more before its Ireland premiere theatrically on April 4th, 2025, with audience and critic reactions being overwhelmingly positive. Just in time for Pride Month, the BFI has given the film its worldwide Blu-ray premiere. Note this is a region B Blu-ray
Video
The BFI presents the film in the 2.00:1 aspect ratio in 1080p AVC MPEG-4. There isn't much technical information on the shooting or editing format, but this is a sharp and excellent looking transfer from start to finish. The image is very sharp with excellent detail to be found, colors looking excellent from bright tones to dark portions, without issues of digital compression. There is really nothing to fault as it looks great in every sequence. The film's runtime is 89:17.
Audio
English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 English LPCM 2.0 stereo English Audio Descriptive Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo There are three choices for audio, with a lossless 5.1 track, a downmixed uncompressed stereo track, and an audio descriptive track. The 5.1 track has dialogue centered and the surrounding channels used for music and effects. It is a dialogue driven feature, and it sounds very clear throughout, with the music and effects being well balanced. There are no issues at fault with the audio in the 5.1 track. The 2.0 track is also fine, though it obviously lacks the details in the discreet channels. The audio descriptive track has an Irish male narrator for the visually impaired audience. There are optional English HoH subtitles for the main feature in a white font which are well timed and easy to read without errors.
Extras
Audio commentary by Colin Thornton and Darren Thornton (2025) This commentary has the Thornton brothers chatting together looking back at the making of the film. Discussed are changes made from the original script, behind the scenes stories, casting choices and casting changes, COVID restrictions and infections, feedback from test screenings, and more. They also reveal why Raf's Dutch boyfriend does not have a Dutch accent, which was a minor question I had during my viewing, and it was not a character choice. They have a lot of great information about the making of the film and the troubles and changes made on the low budget production, and is a great listen for all interested. in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles "Frankie" 2007 short film (12:00) Frankie (played by Ryan Andrews) is preparing himself for fatherhood. Talking directly to the camera, he immediately tells the audience in his voice still unbroken, that he is fifteen years old and is not in the best situation. He is aggressive whether at home or in school, comes from a broken home, and is not at all prepared to become a father, let alone a man. Written and directed by Darren Thornton, this hard hitting short still has some moments of humor to be found, but is a bleak reminder of the cycle of domestic abuse and violence that is all too common around the world. The short won multiple awards at film festivals, including the Los Angeles Film Festival, the Miami Short Film Festival, the European Film Festival, the Cork International Film Festival, and the Berlin International Film Festival. The transfer for this short is not particularly good, as it doesn't come from original elements but what seems to be a standard definition master which has burned-in English subtitles over the English dialogue, most likely for exhibition for places outside of Ireland where the accents might be hard to understand. Colors are fair but quite brightened, and detail is not particularly strong. in 1080i50 AVC MPEG-4, in 1.78:1, in English LPCM 2.0 stereo with burned-in English subtitles "Two Hearts" 2011 short film (17:50) Lorna (played by Roxanna Nic Liam) is a young single mother taking care of her three year old child in the suburbs. She witnesses Gavin (played by Johnny Ward), a man from her past just released from prison which causes a flood of emotions to return to her. Written by Colin and Darren Thornton and directed by Darren Thornton, this is much grittier than the above short and also one that is expressed more without dialogue than with. It's a differing look at broken families and the circumstances surrounding them, with a disturbing twist towards the end as well. Well performed and well directed, it really showcased the brothers and their craft even with the short runtime. The short won awards at the Rome Independent Film Festival and the Cork International Film Festival. The transfer for this short is much better, with a sharper image and very good sound. in 1080i50 AVC MPEG-4, in 2.39:1, in English LPCM 2.0 stereo without subtitles "The Absurdity in These Moments" 2025 Interview with James McArdle (25:25) This new and exclusive interview with McArdle has him discussing about his childhood and getting into acting including his obsession with "Jaws" that he could act out the entire film. He also talks about wanting to work with the Thornton brothers, his initial reception to the script, about his character, the audience reception, and more. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.78:1 / 2.00:1, in English LPCM 2.0 without subtitles "Four Mothers: Making Of" 2024 featurette (4:48) This basic EPK featurette includes behind the scenes footage, on set interviews with the cast and crew discussing about the setting and the characters, which is very well edited and without too many spoilers within. in 1080i50 AVC MPEG-4, in 1.78:1, in English LPCM 2.0 without subtitles Trailer (1:44) A great but spoiler heavy crowd pleasing trailer is presented here. The trailer has been embedded below, courtesy of the BFI. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 2.00:1, in English LPCM 2.0 without subtitles Booklet The first pressing includes a 24 page booklet. First is the essay "Four Mothers: Gay Sons, Grief and Getting On" by Simon McCallum which looks at the various themes presented in the film and about the characters. Next is "The Painful Absurdity of Life and Death" by Darren Thornton which looks at the caring of and the loss of his mother and how it inspired the film's story autobiographically. There is also a review from Sight & Sound by Nick Davis from April of 2025 reprinted. There are also full cast and credits listed, information on the special features, transfer information, acknowledgements, and stills. Other notable clips: Interview with Darren Thornton at the London International Film Festival Interview with McArdle at the London International Film Festival Interview with Flanagan at the London International Film Festival Interview with Farrelly and Hickey at the London International Film Festival Interview with O'Neill at the London International Film Festival Interview with Garcia at the London International Film Festival Interview with Thornton and O'Neill for Ireland AM The US trailer for "Mid-August Lunch"
Overall
"Four Mothers" is a wonderful Irish indie crowd pleaser with great humor and heart through excellent characters going through stress, trauma, and laughter along the way. It may not be the most original or groundbreaking work, but it's certainly well crafted and well performed. The BFI's Blu-ray is excellent in quality and has a good selection of extras included. Highly recommended. Amazon UK link
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