Trail of wounds

Beautiful Kate
15, Key Cities

Beautiful Kate is one of those emotional-journey films that begins with a family member returning home after a long, unexplained absence and, whatever else happens, you know they are not all going to settle down to a nice cup of tea and a cheerful catch-up. Instead, old wounds will be reopened, secrets from the past will be reawakened, skeletons will clamour to be released from cupboards and the flashbacks will do what flashbacks do: that is, flash back, rupturing the narrative before bringing it together and creating that satisfying whole. As a cinematic plot, this is as old as the hills, but if you like this sort of thing, and I rather do, then you will like this film. It’s absorbingly intriguing, emotionally involving and it will get under your skin. It may even still be under my skin. I’ll just check…yes, still there, just below my armpit, and I think it’s going to be there until next Tuesday, at least.