Our Review

                         Movie: MIDWINTER BREAK

                  Rating: PG-13, Some Strong Language,                     Bloody Images, Alcoholism, Suggestive Material                                   Length: 1:30

                     Release Date: February 20, 2026

Jeanne: A lovely movie based on the novel of the same name by Bernard MacLaverty, MIDWINTER BREAK is a sublime example of masterclass acting by Lesley Manville and Ciarán Hinds. Making her film directorial debut, Polly Findlay has captured the nuances of a long-term marriage in a quiet display of faith, frustration and everlasting love.

Manville and Hinds play Stella and Gerry, a retired couple living in Glasgow, Scotland. Many years before, they moved from Belfast, Ireland to Glasgow with their infant son following a tragic, life-altering event. Now, they are empty nesters who navigate through their days without much interaction. Their son has his own family, whom they never see, so they are left pretty much on their own.

Stella attends mass without Gerry, who prefers to remain at home drinking his whiskey and falling asleep in his recliner. As a surprise Christmas present, Stella books a trip to Amsterdam. She and Gerry are equally excited as they head off for an adventure. But once in Amsterdam, old issues rear up and their future together is threatened.

Manville is seriously one of the greatest actors of her generation. Whether it’s her Oscar and Bafta nominated role in PHANTOM THREAD or her Emmy and Bafta nominated performance as Princess Margaret in The Crown, Manville is perpetually perfect. And here, she is utterly engaging as a woman torn between her own desires and her marriage.

Hinds has also had a storied career with his own Oscar nomination for playing Pop in Kenneth Branagh’s wonderful film, BELFAST.  As Gerry, he deals with his dissatisfied wife and their distant relationship, which is exacerbated by his alcoholism.

Manville and Hinds enjoy an easy chemistry as Stella and Gerry, which is due to their amazing talents and a marvelous screenplay adapted by MacLaverty and Nick Payne. It’s a rather simple story about love and loss, while examining the power of faith and commitment. And although some may see this as a film only for older people, it’s actually universal in its message about what it takes to sustain any relationship.

Filmed on location in Scotland and the Netherlands, MIDWINTER BREAK has many attributes. The brilliant score by composer Hannah Peel sets the tone for this intimate experience. And the sets around Amsterdam including The Rijksmuseum, the national museum of the Netherlands, and the Begijnhof, a medieval space of historic buildings which housed a religious order for women devoted to God, are spectacular. Findlay has a very bright future as a film director.

                           In theaters February 20th

Opinion: See It Now!

David: Guy Heeley, one of the producers of MIDWINTER BREAK, believes that this movie should appeal to a broad spectrum of moviegoers, not just those who have been together --- particularly married couples --- for many years. That may be true, but certainly the story of Stella and Gerry has a definitive slant towards older moviegoers.

Stella (Lesley Manville) and Gerry (Ciarán Hinds) are a retired couple living in Glasgow, Scotland after moving years earlier from Belfast, Ireland. A prior personal incident of major proportions --- involving the tragic 30 years of war in Northern Ireland --- prompted their move to Glasgow where they have lived for most of their 40-plus years of marriage.

Stella is an avid churchgoer while most of what we see of Gerry is that he likes to drink. At Christmas, Stella surprises her husband with tickets to Amsterdam for a holiday.  They excitedly leave for the airport, and upon arrival, for the first day or so, it appears Stella’s planned trip will go swimmingly towards whatever ails their marriage. But that is about to change.

Like so many long relationships, the story of Stella and Gerry focuses on their desire and need to stay together. In the film’s turning point, Stella announces that she wants to sell their flat in Glasgow and find a place of her own. She has a definite idea of what to do with the rest of her life.

This naturally precipitates the expected soul-searching of the pair, and I suspect that couples who have been together for decades will certainly identify with the dilemma facing Stella and Gerry. It is the quietly brilliant acting by Manville and Hinds that holds our attention.

Gerry is not a drunken monster or abusive husband, nor is Stella a shrew who carps at her husband every second. The story suggests that although some people spend years together in a loving relationship, things can change – like priorities, goals and dreams. Despite Stella’s steadfast plans to move on, there is a glimpse of hope at the end that these two will work things out and continue on their way.

MIDWINTER BREAK is directed by Polly Findlay, her feature film debut, having been selected by Heeley. The story is based on the 2018 novel by Bernard MacLaverty who hails from Northern Ireland.

                         In theaters February 20th

Opinion: Wait for VOD