North Star

On the eve of their twice-widowed mother’s third wedding, three sisters return to their home in the English countryside for a tenuous reunion. Having lost their father and their stepfather, both perishing while serving in the British Royal Navy, the women continue to grapple with complex feelings left behind by these mythologized men.

Following in her father’s footsteps, Katherine (Scarlett Johansson) prepares for a new role as a captain in the navy. It proves a bittersweet moment to untangle her childhood recollections of loss. Meanwhile, Victoria (Sienna Miller), the eldest sister, is content to milk the family tragedy in interviews to help her Hollywood acting career. And the youngest, Georgina (Emily Beecham), who has a more dutiful life as a nurse, worries about her husband’s fidelity. None of them has a hope of a healthy relationship if they can’t let go of the men in their memories, and it isn’t long before their mother has to shake all three of her daughters out of themselves.

Directing for the first time, Kristin Scott Thomas — who also plays the matriarch — uses her own family history as a jumping-off point for this charming family drama. With richly drawn lives for each of its characters, and beautifully animated flashback sequences that pull you into the grief they’re trying to leave behind, North Star, a triumphant tale about the people who are always by our side, adds to Scott Thomas’ storied career.

JANE SCHOETTLE

Official Selection, 2023 Toronto International Film Festival