Movie Review: Queen of Sheba's Pearls, The

The Queen of Shebas Pearls is set in 1950s post-war England. Three generations of the Pretty family are grieving over the loss of Emily Bradley(Helena Bergström) - wife, mother, daughter, and sister - in a plane crash. All are intensely grieving in their own way but the grieving has been going on for years without resolution. Jack Bradley (Rollo Weeks), the son of Emily, is celebrating his 16th birthday when the Swedish Nancy Ackerman (Helena Bergström) arrives at the house ostensibly looking for a cleaning job. She looks exactly like Emily and the household is completely unsettled by her presence. As the family struggles to come to terms with who she is and a dark secret they are forced to come to grips with their grief, guilt, resentment, and loss. The Queen of Sheba's Pearls is a moving, complex drama that ranges across a wide range of human experience. It is dark, subtle, gentle, and at times funny. The cinematography is wonderful (mostly in sepia tones) and the acting superb and will leave you moved and reflective as you leave the cinema. My Rating: **** (out of 5) Positive Review '... in its anecdotal way, the film somehow hangs together, shaping itself into a benign and sunny take on a plot device we've often seen before in films - about a fraying household rejuvenated by the presence of a seductive stranger.' - Sandra Hall/Sydney Morning Herald Negative Review 'The trouble is that, although it's beautifully made, little about the film really rings true.' - David Stratton/At the Movies