Off the Rails is one disappointing trip

Off the Rails is dedicated to Kelly Preston, whose last film it was before her death in 2020 at the age of 57. Since a death is what begins the story, it's a particularly bittersweet touch.

Watching it is a bittersweet experience, too. It's come as a belated release during the post-Christmas, post-awards season cinematic dry spell and it's a film aimed at older, particularly female, audiences who are not always well served by mainstream releases. But despite some good points, it's disappointing - not a disgrace, but not the best cinematic farewell for the likeable Preston, whose other films included Twins and Jerry Maguire.

The story begins with middle-aged Kate (Jenny Seagrove, Judge John Deed), Liz (Sally Phillips, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies) and Cassie (Preston, a rather obvious attempt to appeal to an American audience) hearing about the death of their old university friend Anna. Life has kept them busy and taken them on different paths in the years since and they're reunited at the funeral.

Afterwards, Anna's mother Diana (Judi Dench, who surely needs no introduction) hands them a final gift from her daughter: four train tickets, with the intention that they retrace the steps of the European trip the quartet took after university and which they always intended to repeat.

The fourth ticket is for Anna's teenage daughter Maddie (Elizabeth Dormer-Phillips, Fortitude), who put her own life on hold during her mother's illness.

They decide to honour Anna's wishes and go, and are determined not to miss the rare Festival of Light at the Cathedral of Santa Maria of Palma on Mallorca, a phenomenon taking place in five days' time, which they were too late for last time.

But has anyone ever had an international holiday where everything went smoothly? And does anyone expect there won't be dramas when old friends reunite after a long time in a sad and stressful situation?

The news that Dench is in this film will be reason enough for some people to see it - like fellow Dames Helen Mirren and Maggie Smith, her appeal seems to be irresistible to many. But her role is essentially a cameo that's over with quickly (don't be late).

Elements of the story are too contrived, to the point of being a distraction. For example, can three working women all drop everything suddenly for a trip to Europe? Aren't lost passports and money a major cause for concern rather than the minor irritant they seem to be here? And is Europe really so small that travellers can zip between cities, even countries, almost instantly when the plot requires it?

We're in female buddy-movie territory and learn something about the lives and personalities of the characters as the journey progresses, sometimes in rather heavy information dumps. Cassie is an actress on a hit medical drama with an alcohol problem and fighting a custody battle for her son. Kate has problems with money and men. Liz is a doctor stuck in a dull marriage. And Maddie... well, apart from her failing school because of her duties at home, we don't learn much about her at all.

There are other people who pop up - including veteran actor Franco Nero (Camelot) - but the emphasis is, as it should be, on the women. It's just a pity they weren't developed more.

And while the actresses are all more than capable, there's not much sense of a shared history here.

The film feels superficial and despite an occasional good line or incident, it's not as entertaining as it should be. Issues arise - including a longstanding resentment between two characters - and are sometimes dropped, sometimes resolved in rather pat fashion (throwing away antidepressants doesn't make mental health issues disappear).

If you like the music of Blondie, you're in luck: the hits are played (and replayed) here.

Prolific TV director Jules Williamson keeps things moving but at times a little too briskly. And the script, credited to Jordan Waller, seems to have been a patchwork effort, with other writers credited for "Story" and other things: perhaps that accounts for some of the movie's flaws.