in cinemas and on demand, an unconventional romance is hitting screens in the form of And Mrs. This upcoming feature film is directed by Daniel Reisinger and features a script by Melissa Bubnic. According to a synopsis provided in a press e-mail it is "a high concept comedy drama about an Irish woman living in London whose American fiancé dies shortly before their wedding day." Read on for more details.
"Your husband is going to die."
As the trailer opens, we see a quirky but lovable couple at the moment they decide to spend the rest of their lives together. Gemma (Aisling Bea) accepts the proposal of Nathan (Colin Hanks) and we witness their affection and good humor up until the moment that Gemma teases Nathan with a gentle touch and finds that rigor mortis has set in.
As the story progresses, Gemma reckons with grief and anger and decides, on the advice of Nathan's sister to go ahead with the wedding. She then "has to overcome public opinion, the law and even her own family's objections before she can."
The trailer features an excellent blend of a stubborn heart and a questioning mind as Gemma realizes that her only recourse is to appeal to the famously inflexible Lord Chief Justice Amanda Vaughn (Dame Harriet Walter). We also see those rallying to her cause or opposing her, while some oblivious characters make things worse. Nathan's sister Audrey (Billie Lourd) recognizes the effort by Gemma as "how she needs to say goodbye," but a bridal shop attendant encourages a purchase with a cheeky "Your husband is going to die." The trailer is enough to pique interest in how it all plays out in the end.
In memoriam
Meanwhile, this piece by first-time feature film director Daniel Reisinger delves deep on a number of levels. Reisinger comments that many of the cast and crew had an "unfortunate bond" in losing someone close to them. Leading lady Aisling Bea lost her father at the age of three. Colin Hanks lost a parent early in his adulthood and Billie Lourd lost her mother Carrie Fisher and her grandmother Debbie Reynolds in the space of 48 hours several years ago. Says Reisinger "I feel that post-pandemic, now more than ever, we need stories like AND MRS that let us laugh through the grief."
It's not all a laugh, of course. Reisinger considers the messages the film conveys to be emblematic of "a nuanced relationship":
"Thematically the story is a rebellion against the famous British 'stiff upper lip'. Its rallying cry is that there is no 'proper' way to grieve, and that love can conquer all - even death."Daniel Reisinger
The film is set in London, but the director relates that "in France, they see the right to marry someone posthumously as a beautiful part of life."
The cast is diverse in experience and background. Aisling is an actor and writer, but is also known for her work as a comic. Billie played another free spirit in Booksmart and is featured in the upcoming The Last Showgirl by Gia Coppola. Lovable Colin Hanks has a history n adventures such as King Kong and Jumanji, but is tackling the post-war era in Nuremberg. Susan Wokoma has appeared in both Enola Holmes movies and led the cast of Cheaters on BBC One. Dame Harriet Walter of Succession plays the crucial figure and primary antagonist, the Lord Chief Justice.
And Mrs. is a production of Who's on First, "specialising in smart genre pieces with international appeal." We look forward to the film's release in cinema on September 20 and streaming one week later.