LFF Review: Herself (Phyllida Lloyd)

Herself is a tale of the highs and lows in the life of Dublin based mother Sandra, who is a domestic abuse victim who finds solace in home improvement which also builds up her confidence. Despite a seemingly bleak premise, Herself has an uplifting message.

We can all sing along with Sandra and her daughters to Sia’s ‘Chandelier’ and be shell shocked in the next moment by the sheer force of the violence meted out in the home, which may be triggering to some. Herself excels in its empathetic editing and its refusal to pander entirely to the sentimental tropes present in other films of a similar nature. 

However, there is also a feel-good sensation that reverberates throughout Herself as Sandra strives for a better life for herself and her daughters against the odds. There are many charitable acts bestowed upon her by neighbours and other friends understandably keen to help with her plight, as Sandra and her daughters are temporarily housed in a hotel room.

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It is impossible not to wonder whether similar levels of kindness might have been extended if Sandra was living in London, for example, rather than an Irish town. Herself may therefore require its audience to suspend its belief somewhat. Regarding the generosity of these strangers to assist Sandra to achieve her dream through that symbol of liberty by building her own house, on land given to her. Herself, however, does not shirk away from tackling the realities of domestic abuse and a housing shortage.

Herself is grounded in realism to that degree. Noticeably Sandra’s injuries remain visible and so she is in possession of a black eye throughout the film. The impact of the domestic violence on Sandra, excellently played by Claire Dunne who co-wrote the film, is omni-present. There are involuntary flashbacks and triggering moments which may resonate with other women in similar scenarios.

Indeed, Dunne spent several years researching and visiting women’s charities and family courts to create the script’s gritty social realism. Herself equally highlights that frustration, there are many moments where you may be shouting at the screen, towards the inflexibility within the legal and housing systems where domestic abuse victims are concerned.

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The statistics are startling as Women’s Aid reveals that 1 in 4 women in Ireland in a relationship have been abused by a current or former partner. With such high statistics there is the expectation of a degree of empathy towards such women unfortunately, as illustrated within Herself, the victims themselves are subjected to scrutiny.

There were certainly many exasperating moments, when Sandra is asked why she didn’t leave sooner as any domestic abuse training given to members of the court would emphasise that trying to leave is the most dangerous time for a woman. Which was certainly true in Sandra’s case.

As such, the court procedures within the film to protect a domestic abuse victim were exposed to be woefully inadequate. Sandra’s reference to this lack of concern is truly a heartbreaking moment within the film as it shines a light on the amount of unconscious victim blaming that occurs within society. It is particularly timely given some of the local requirements to stay at home during the pandemic which may unfortunately amplify cases of domestic abuse. 

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As a low budget film, Herself is therefore a marked departure from director Phyllida Lloyd‘s other films, such as Mamma Mia. Lloyd insisted that she did not wish to make another blockbuster, which is an enviable position to be in.

Herself does have moments of joy, however, interspersed with the despair. It is truly delightful to watch the positive chemistry between Sandra and her daughters amidst their turbulent lives and a sense of triumph radiates throughout the film as the house building progresses. A good support network is established, emphasising the need for the family and the friends of your choosing as anchors through the difficult times. Lloyd handles this subject matter sensitively and strikes that delicate balance to avoid glorifying the violence whilst retaining a modicum of hope. 

The film is the winner of two awards from the Dublin Film Festival, which impressively includes a Human Rights Film Award. Herself is partly based on some real-life events which inspired Dunne to write the script after a friend became homeless as a single mother with 3 children.

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Herself is beautifully filmed, with tracking shots building up the emotional stakes. The colour palette within the cinematography ranges from warm brown hues to blues during moments of heightened emotions for Sandra.

It is an affecting, expressive performance from Dunne and equally as moving is witnessing the reversal of roles between Sandra and her elderly employer as the carer effectively becomes the dependent as time progresses. This does not detract from the overall sense of triumph against adversity that permeates Herself and Dunne is truly captivating on screen and will be one to watch in the future.

Herself will make you cry tears of joy and sadness, and will then cause you to feel merriment too as it conveys the ups and downs within Sandra’s life. It is an affecting, triumphant tale of hope despite life’s challenges. Above all, Herself is a sensitive snapshot of courage and determination and building that confidence and self-belief as a woman; the film provides that much needed portrayal of overcoming hardship that is the perfect tonic during these uncertain times.