Widows' Peak

A peculiar concept, this hill where only single women and widows are permitted to live, but such a place forms the setting for director Irvin's first foray into comedy. Set in 1920s Ireland, it tells of a community of widows, spearheaded by Plowright, which is disrupted by the arrival of spirited war widow Edwina (Richardson, with American accent). Farrow plays the downtrodden Miss O'Hare who immediately takes a violent dislike to Edwina. Both seem to have a difficult past they want hidden, the unravelling of which forms a strong whodunit narrative and, ultimately, a clever plot twist. The robust characterisation of the trio is the film's main strength.