Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood
by Lies
Being one of Maggie Smith’s more recent movies, “Divine Secrets” tells the story of a group of elderly women, friends since their earliest childhood, and especially of the struggle one of them experiences in her, previously abusive, relationship with her grown up daughter. When, after a particularly harsh fight between mother and daughter, the “Ya-Ya”s decide to abduct the daughter, Sidda, “down south”, the young woman’s quest for her mother’s past begins…
Maggie Smith, playing the part of Caro Bennett, the unspoken “leader” of the Ya-Ya group, once more manages to “steal” whole scenes away by a mere word or gesture. Her line “Took me twenty years to find out my husband was gay.” is perhaps the best example of her strong ability to mix humour with drama, because through its funny surface, one can see the sadder background peeking through.
Once more, one of the greatest actresses of our time proves for once and for ever that it does not take talent a leading role to prove itself. As always at ease in her, despite everything, very funny role, Maggie Smith proves that even an oxygen mask can be used as a comedy attribute. And shine she does- for when does she not?