Ali & Ava (2021)

"Ava" (Claire Rushbrook) works as a teaching assistant who has brought up her children following a rather brutal marriage. One afternoon in the tipping rain, she is offered a lift by "Ali" (Adeel Akhtar) who winds her up about her tastes in music (folk and country) and generally makes her smile. The film now takes a slightly predictable path, as she must deal with resistance from her headstrong son "Callum" (Shaun Thomas) whilst he with his estranged wife "Runa" (Ellora Torchia) who has recently had a miscarriage and found love elsewhere. When it is just the two in the title together, there is chemistry and humour and the film moves along engagingly. Otherwise, though, the story is just way too contrived, and once the writing is on the wall for the narrative, the sentiment takes just a little too prominent a role and the film simply runs out of steam.