Can You Hear Me, Mother? Is a bizarre little time capsule

Should you watch Can You Hear Me, Mother? today? Honestly, that depends on your tolerance for 1930s variety show charm and whether you find the idea of a stranded infant being dragged through a career change funny or just deeply stressful.

If you love old British music-hall stars, you'll probably have a blast. If you’re looking for a coherent plot or, you know, not-totally-wild pacing, you are going to hate it. It’s definitely not for the modern viewer who needs things to make sense all the time. 👶

Sandy Powell is the whole show here. He’s got that specific energy of someone who thinks they’re the funniest person in the room—and sometimes, he actually is. Watching him navigate London while clutching a baby is exactly as awkward as you’d imagine.

There’s a scene on the train that really stuck with me. The baby is just there, left behind like a discarded newspaper. It’s so casual it’s almost offensive. You’re sitting there thinking, wait, is nobody going to check on this? But then the movie just pivots to the next gag.

It reminds me a bit of the frantic energy in Wake Up and Dream, where things happen simply because the plot needs them to happen. Logic is purely optional here.

The transition from a Yorkshire mill to the London stage is handled with almost no effort. One minute he’s working, the next he’s basically an overnight success. It’s the kind of pacing that makes you wonder if they just ran out of film and had to cut the middle part.

Some of the supporting cast are doing their best to ground things, but the movie keeps drifting back into Powell's comedy bits. It’s like a variety show that accidentally grew a plot. Or maybe a plot that got interrupted by a variety show?

I can’t help but compare the sheer randomness to something like The Foundling, though this one feels much more like a vehicle for a single performer rather than a genuine story. It’s messy, sure. But there’s a weird, specific charm to how unpolished it feels.

Highlights worth noting:

• The train station scenes are beautifully dusty.
• Powell really does talk to that baby like it’s an adult heckler.
• The musical numbers arrive exactly when you’ve forgotten this was meant to be a comedy.
• The lighting makes everything look like it’s happening inside a very small, very warm shoebox.

Don't expect a masterpiece. Expect a guy trying really hard to make a baby laugh while his career hangs in the balance. It’s not great art, but it’s certainly… something. Sometimes that’s enough. 🎭