Winner of the Palme d’Or and Best Actress (for Brenda Blethyn) at Cannes—Mike Leigh’s rich characterizations (with an incredible stable of actors), and trademark bittersweet take on realism transcends the soap opera trappings
Unlike Leigh’s previous effort, Naked, this is no major triumph and miracle of mise-en-scene, but I do like the detail and juxtaposition of Spall (and his wife) and their house in comparison with Blethyn. It’s a story of class (always important to Leigh)—in one scene Spall’s wife is wearing a vest that matches her wallpaper
family melodrama like almost all of Leigh’s work- tough conversations almost like you’re eavesdropping, realism (where are my subtitles?), characters that are genuine people, gritty- largely plotless- this is an auteur—half Ken Loach social consciousness and half John Cassavetes “are these real people or actors” rawness and authenticity.
Perhaps the greatest of Leigh’s squinty squeaky female performances- Brenda Blethyn— it is a big performance, lots of choices but undeniably powerful and successful. I can hear her saying “sweet heart” in my head right now. One of 1996’s best performances sadly overshadowed by Emily Watson in Breaking the Waves and Frances McDormand in Fargo
perhaps the greatest of Leigh’s squinty squeaky female performances- Brenda Blethyn— it is a big performance, lots of choices but undeniably powerful and successful. I can hear her saying “sweet heart” in my head right now. One of 1996’s best performances sadly overshadowed by Emily Watson in Breaking the Waves and Frances McDormand in Fargo
It’s not just the Spall character and his wife that tell the story of the class struggle in contemporary Britain—the adopted Marianne Jean-Baptiste (a very strong, confident black woman) is an optometrist, more reserved, from a different class as well
A family melodrama like almost all of Leigh’s work- tough conversations almost like you’re eavesdropping, realism (where are my subtitles?), characters that are genuine people, gritty- largely plotless- this is an auteur—half Ken Loach social consciousness and half John Cassavetes “are these real people or actors” rawness and authenticity.
It isn’t 100% baked and carried on throughout the film but I like the film structure and form here as Leigh cuts to photo sessions (Spall’s character is a photographer) of families- some smiling, some fighting—only the audio of Spall in these scenes
A great shot with the door framing the two women (friends including Marianne Jean-Baptiste) at 34 minutes in- slowly tracks in
Gutting screenplay and writing— “You can’t miss what you never had” and Spall says “Can’t you?” (he and his wife can’t have kids and it is ripping them apart both individually and as a couple). It cuts like a knife
The film takes its time. It is 136 minutes and it is 60 minutes in almost exactly before Blethyn and Jean-Baptiste talk on the phone
The Holborn tube station long take scene is really well done followed by another long take of both women at the coffee shop sitting on the same side of the booth
another long take of both women at the coffee shop sitting on the same side of the booth alone showing them in isolation
The Holborn tube station long take scene is really well done
The bomb dropped by Blethyn’s character at the 21st birthday party is at almost 2 hours in. It’s painful- tough to watch and again feels like non-actors which has to do with Leigh’s well-documented approach to actors, writing and characters—it feels like group therapy here in a good way- we’re all in pain. I feel some of Ari Aster and what he must be influenced by
Coming in 1996 (though Leigh and his work, which is consistent, predates it) you have to talk about the Dogme 95 movement with Vinterberg and von Trier
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