Summary:
A low-income family living in London does their best to navigate life and all its ups and downs.
My Thoughts:
I’ve watched enough Mike Leigh films to know that I really like the way he tells a story. His characters are almost always the most interesting bits of his movies- they’re complex, sometimes moody and emotional, but almost always they feel more tactile than characters we see in other films; the problems they face aren’t anything world-altering, they’re often personal crisis that deal with character tensions. I know some people wont find these films as interesting as I, but that’s alright- for me, Leigh knows how to portray stories that address how the most important topics of life (love, family, God, etc) fit into our lives, while still providing plenty of entertainment.
“We don’t hate you! We bloody love you, you stupid girl!”
Wendy (Alison Steadman, “Champions”) and Andy (Jim Broadbent, “Topsy-Turvy”) are a low-income married couple living in London with their twin daughters Natalie (Claire Skinner, “Naked”) and Nicola (Jane Horrocks, “The Witches”). Natalie is polite and bookish, while Nicola is bratty and abrasive. They all lead relatively normal lives, occasionally getting visits from their seldom sober friend Patsy (Stephen Rea, “V for Vendetta”) and their strange entrepreneur friend Aubrey (Timothy Spall, “Secrets and Lies”), and occasional clandestine visits from Nicola’s unnamed lover (David Thewlis, “Naked”). As they navigate their ordinary lives we get a sense of the charm that pervades their lives even though they often go through trials and tribulations.
As I mentioned above, he thing I like most about Mike Leigh films is his ability to address the most important issues of life in a way that is both profound and entertaining. While this film does have some rather melancholy moments, a good part of the film is actually quite funny, and a large part of that is due to the character interactions and dynamics, and the way that the actors portray their characters. Leigh is fantastic at creating characters that feel real; oftentimes they remain relatively static as far as development, save one or two small revelations that might or might not alter the course of their lives.
Really, the best part of this movie is watching how Wendy and Andy navigate their lives together. They are a happy couple that holds dear to the love that they share, even when one or the other does something that might irritate the other. This film is about learning to accept those we love for all their faults even if they sometimes irk us. There are plenty of trenchant observations on the peculiarities of certain characters, and in the end it makes those characters far deeper and more interesting.
As far as cinematography goes, I was reminded a lot of Ozu’s films or those of Wes Anderson (though not as heavily stylized). Leigh likes to place things in his frame very deliberately, and oftentimes his sets and locations feel quaint and comfortable. The way that the scenes are shot and locations laid out gives everything a lived in feeling, and again it gives the characters and their stories more depth.
(Mild Spoiler) This film in particular hit me way harder than I was expecting because of a subplot that addressed bulimia. I have witnessed first hand the effects that bulimia can have on those that struggle with it and also those surrounding the individual struggling with it. Eating disorders are no joke, and sadly, they’re far more prevalent than one might expect. The way that sort of behavior effects the individuals psyche is devastating, and the physical effects can be traumatizing and long lasting. But this film also looks at the way that eating disorders also eat away at relationships with the people you love, and that I have experienced first hand. There is a scene where Nicola is binging and purging in her room at night, while Natalie tries sleep in the room next to her, but she can’t because she’s kept awake by the noises- that scene almost brought me to tears (and it was rather early on in the film). I’ve been Natalie in that situation; listening to a person you love purging behind a closed door though they promised they wouldn’t a hundred times. It’s terrifying, watching someone you love tear themselves apart doing something that, though you might try, you can’t fully comprehend. It’s frustrating to be on the outside, because you want to love them, but you hate the choices they make; it’s difficult to be around them because you want to show support, but it’s also killing you to see them do the same things over and over again… I know that the story is not only about this, there is far more that goes on, this is only a small subplot, but for me, it was this part that hit home the hardest. Sometimes, no matter what you do to try to help, they fall back on their old habits, and if you can you just need to be there for them, because that’s what they need more than anything: a shoulder to lean on.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with bulimia or any other kind of eating disorder, know that you aren’t alone, and that there is help out there for you if you need it.
(SPOILER ABOUT FINAL SCENE)
Throughout the film, Nicola is constantly asking for money, which I took almost symbolically as her reaching out for help. In the final scene, after the fight between Wendy and Nicola, Natalie and Nicola talk in the garden and Natalie says it’s probably good that Nicola and Wendy fought, just to get it all out in the open. After that, Natalie asks Nicola if she wants money unprompted, which I sort of took as an offering of help. The change between the characters is small, but that little bit gives me hope for Nicola in the end. It’s a very sweet ending, apropos of its title.
Verdict:
Mike Leigh is one of my favorite contemporary directors (right up there with Oliver Assayas). I know he wont be everyone’s cup of tea- I’m sure plenty of people will find his stories rather slow and meandering, but I find them humble, charming, wonderfully poignant, often funny, and above all heartfelt and honest. This film, like many of his other films is one that I’ll revisit again because of the beauty Leigh finds in simplicity.
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