‘Herself’ review; Dir. Phyllida Lloyd (2020) [LFF]

Phyllida Lloyd, whose previous efforts include the poles apart Mamma Mia! and The Iron Lady, directs this much smaller, very different affair, a compact but powerful social realist drama co-written by and starring the hugely talented Clare Dunne.

Dublin, Ireland is the setting for this instantly striking piece, revolving around the central character of Sandra (Dunne), a mother of two daughters, and wife to her very controlling husband, Gary (Ian Lloyd Anderson). Things come to a head early in the first reel when Gary’s overbearing influence on Sandra turns to violence, hitting her and stamping on her arm, an incident which leads the older of the two daughters running from their abode for help. Sandra leaves Gary soon afterwards, and we soon see her tied up in the social support system, holed up in temporary accommodation, a hotel right next to the city’s airport.

Sandra soon becomes tired of said system, struggling to make ends meet through a number of jobs – working in a local pub with an unsympathetic boss (to put it mildly), and as a cleaner and support worker for a local doctor (the brilliant Harriet Walter). Tired with the constant offerings of below-par, very small studio flats, Sandra becomes aware of a scheme to build her own house for a significantly lower amount than the rising costs to the local authority of putting her family up in temporary accommodation. The council baulks at the offer – that’s not how it works – so Sandra accepts a kind offer from Peggy – a full loan of the cash to build the house, and the land on which to erect it, which, after some initial hesitation, she accepts.

The film charts the journey of Sandra as she starts to build the house, and rebuild her life, while the narrative also focuses on the character navigating her new world, from negotiating and dealing with parental access for the father of her children post-separation, to her constant pursuit in seeking human kindness to complete her abode.

Malcolm Campbell and Dunne’s screenplay is superbly written, a very realistic portrayal of Sandra’s situation, while Lloyd’s direction and staging is, as you might expect from her previous film and stage credits, superb. Skipping over the occasional clichés – the use of La Roux’s Bulletproof on the soundtrack at one point, for example, Herself, is a magnificent piece of work.

This is Dunne’s film, though, maybe more as the actor in the lead. Her performance is exceptional; both empathetic, powerful and touching, and her turn as Sandra is the personification of a strong-willed, determined woman, unrelenting in her quest to provide for her family. Her story is positively uplifting, despite the dark moments that play out on screen throughout, and the events that lead to the climax, which I will not obviously spoil here.

Despite nit-picking slightly earlier, Herself is one of the best films we’ve seen all year. Very inspirational as a whole – it makes us want to be better people,  superbly staged and a calling card for a huge new talent that the world deserves to see in Dunne’s portrayal of Sandra. A truly wonderful piece of work from all involved.