Virginia Woolf's Night and Day

Director: Tina Ghavari

Cast: Hayley Bennett, Jack Whitehall, Jennifer Saunders, Timothy Spall, Lily Allen

Love and astrology don’t mix in this un-romantic comedy based on Virginia Woolf’s novel

Aspiring astronomer Katharine Hilbert (Haley Bennett) is passionate about two things and two things only: the stars and Cambridge University. While her controlling father (Timothy Spall) tries to push her away from learning and into marriage with family friend William (Jack Whitehall), the headstrong young woman stands up to expectations forced on her by getting involved in the suffragette movement, spearheaded by the sprightly, straight-talking Mary (Lily Allen). Based on Virginia Woolf’s lesser-known, Night and Day is a refreshing take on the romantic comedy, set against the backdrop of early 20th-century London and the crumbling Edwardian patriarchal attitudes. With Haley Bennett’s sparkling performance at the heart of the film, BAFTA-nominated director Tina Ghavari turns writer Justine Waddell’s script into a sparkling, feminist unromantic comedy. (ANNA BOGUTSKAYA)