The only feature film to be directed by Margaret Tait, made when she was
in her seventies, is this memory piece that looks at the lives of three
generations of Scottish women. It's a demanding, non-narrative picture
as much concerned with buildings, props and landscapes as it is with
people. Indeed, with the exception of the superb Gerda Stevenson, the
rest of the cast act in a blank, one-dimensional fashion. Tait obviously
had no real experience of working with actors and her dialogue is
largely banal. It is the look of the film that matters and even that is
largely banal, too. Tait photographs everyday objects with an almost
fetishistic glee. It might have been a better film had she dispensed
with dialogue altogether. Apart from the odd art-house screening at the
time of its (very limited) release it hasn't been much seen and has now
built up something of an (undeserved) cult reputation.
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