History obviously repeats in this feminist Brit flick

History repeats itself in Virginia Woolf’s Night and Day. But that I mean that just this week, in Britain, there was a blatant case of alleged misogyny at the University of Cambridge. A male professor was accused of being ”wicked” and subjecting a female colleague to “psychological torture.” Not just that but Cambridge’s prestigious Institute of Astronomy  was described as having an altogether “bad history of misogyny.” Perfect! And just in time for the opening weekend of Virginia Woolf’s Night and Day (in certain markets). Directed by Tina Gharavi it’s based on the little known Woolf novel of the same name. 116 years doesn’t seem to make a whole lot of difference in the charges hurled again the institute, as our heroine Katharine Hilbery (Haley Bennett - The Magnificent Seven, Hillbilly Elegy), finds. The story takes place in 1910 where headstrong Hilbery, a brilliant amateur astronomer, eschews society’s norms by trying to pursue a singular career outside of a conventional and confining (for women) life. The sets and costumes are spot on in this historical remake. And US actress Hilbery is a more than convincing Edwardian Brit (she also played in Cyrano). Timothy Spall (Mr. Turner, The Last Bus), one of Britian’s premium actors, does a turn as a stuffy authoritarian father, and with his twisted peevish face (reminiscent of a Francis Bacon portrait) he’s perfect for the role. And three-quarters of the film is the sub-plot of Bennett’s efforts to elude his grasps. Lily Allen plays the suffragette Mary Datchet, a major influence on the still evolving Katharine. The other theme is Hilbery’s indifference towards marriage, blowing hot and cold and playfully stringing her slightly buffoonish paramour (Jack Whitehall) along. But there is something very cliché-ridden about the film. We’ve seen this all before – a struggling yet assertive young feminist wanting to break society’s bonds, something albeit a good deal harder to do more than 100 years ago. If you’re a rah-rah feminist you’ll probably cheer her on regardless. Otherwise, the best the film has to offer are the period settings, the cast (very good) and particularly the searing irascible Hilbery (actor Bennett) herself.