Bonobo

Judith is a lonely, middle-aged, middle class widow, struggling to come to terms with the fact that her daughter Lily appears to have thrown away a bright future by dropping out of law school to join a bohemian commune. The commune, led by the enigmatic Anita, aspires to a way of life that mirrors the behaviour of the Bonobo ape, an animal whose social structure centres around recreational sex. In order to talk some sense into her, Judith follows Lily to the commune to take her home. As Judith’s presence is a disturbance to the Bonobo’s way of life, Anita agrees to resolve the conflict between mother and daughter, provided Judith spends time with the group and gives their way of life a chance. It is often said that there are no great parts for women once they are past their thirties, but Judith’s story flies in the face of that assertion. At the risk of sounding hippy-dippy, she goes looking for her daughter and finds herself. At the same time, the film is funny without resorting to clichés about either the uptight and middle aged, or the new-age types she finds herself with.

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