As with Pierce Brosnan in Married Life, here's another case of a Mamma Mia! cast member proving that they have a lot more to offer the world than singing in a bad musical.

In the setting of 1984, Colin Firth steps well beyond his patented stumble-bum rote in his downbeat portrayal of real-life author Blake Morrison as he reflects on his troubled relationship with his overbearing father.

As good as Firth is - how often do we get to say that? - the film belongs to veteran British actor Jim Broadbent ( Bullets over Broadway, Topsy-Turvy) who puts in such a magnetic, energetic performance as the jolly, big-mouthed, caustic dad it's easy to sympathise with Morrison's conflicted state of mind as he watches his father slowly die.