Mrs Ratcliffe’s Revolution
A crazy quilt of clashing styles, Mrs Ratcliffe’s Revolution may appeal to Cold Warriors who chafe at the thought of a communist regime existing somewhere out there. Incapable of raising more than one chuckle throughout its entire duration, the film strains to be funny with an application that is downright embarrassing. The Ratcliffes, a family of British communists, emigrate to the German Democratic Republic, so as to put their political faith to good use, and undergo the inevitable disillusionment.
Dorothy Ratcliffe (Catherine Tate), a hard-done-by housewife taken for granted by her pompous husband and cheeky daughters, saves the day by orchestrating their defection to the West. One senses it was not the intention of the director but the film lampoons East Germans in a manner reminiscent of McCarthy-era propaganda. Comedies about human suffering require a deft touch, irreverence and an appreciation of the dark side, none of which make an appearance in this film. — Zinaid Meeran