Romantic comedies seem few and far between these days but luckily Aisling Bea’s latest film appears to be filling that void.
And Mrs is a sleeper hit released on Apple TV, with comparisons being made to the legendary British director Richard Curtis’ style.
The 90-minute film reached the streaming platform last month and has crept by relatively unsung so far with mass audiences despite the comedy chops involved.
Directed by Daniel Reisinger, And Mrs sees new mum Aisling as reluctant bride-to-be Gemma who goes ahead with her wedding after her fiancé suddenly dies days before the big day.
It has been praised for its unconventional depiction of love and grief, based on a supposedly 200-year-old law that allows someone to marry a dead person; called necrogamy.
The gimmicky and slightly uneasy concept gives way to a romantic comedy which has been well-received by critics and viewers alike.
Digital Spy’s Ian Sandwell called it ‘an affecting British rom-com unlike any you’ve seen before, and one that gives you as many laughs as it will tears.’
Meanwhile, The Guardian’s Cath Clarke praised it for the ‘warm, fuzzy feelings’ the well ‘calculated’ humour creates.
She added: ‘Director Daniel Reisinger can’t resist giving east London a bit of the old Richard Curtis treatment. Still, there’s a knockout supporting cast.’
‘An enjoyable experience that packs a surprising emotional punch, depicting a make-the-best-of-it situation that audiences will surely hope never to live for themselves but will likely very much enjoy watching,’ wrote Abe Friedtanzer from Awards Buzz.
The star-studded cast including Fargo star and son of Tom Hanks; Colin Hanks, as well as Booksmart’s Billie Lourd (daughter of Carrie Fisher) and Doctor Who icon Arthur Darvill.
Rounding out the cast is Sense & Sensibility and Succession star Harriet Walter as well as rising British actress and comedian Susan Wokoma.
When speaking about the film in an article with Big Issue, director Daniel explained: ‘Well-meaning loved ones often want to stop you from grieving in ways they deem “unhealthy”.
‘But as Dr Elisabeth Kübler-Ross points out in her seminal five stages of grief, really it’s because they just can’t bear to witness your pain. Billie Lourd shared with me that in the days after losing her mum she was given an enormous pile of grief books by various well-meaning people.
‘As if all she had to do was read one and she’d feel better. This book pile was such a striking image that I featured it in the film.’
He added how grief can stay with you forever but on some days it’s more raw than others, noting that it’s just part of life.
Concluding his message, Daniel said he was ‘sorry’ to anyone ‘in the grief trenches’ right now as it ‘sucks’.