davidjack Reviews

Play for Today: Home Sweet Home (1982) Season 12, Episode 19

Happy Families!

[8/10 · 10 May 2000]

I have been trying hard to buy this film and others by Mike Leigh for a long time and at last managed to track them down in the USA.

This was an amusing film about 3 post office workers and their families. Stan who's wife had gone and left him was busy having affairs or chatting up his mate's wives and other ladies. His poor daughter must have found it hard when she came to visit from a children's home and it all came to a head in front of her. She may think twice about visiting her Dad again let alone living with him! I had to feel sorry for Harold, whatever he tried to do for for his wife (June) he couldn't please her and his attempts at humor failed to amuse his work mates. I think Hazel was simply being friendly when she asked Stan in for a chat and had no intention of having an affair with him. She is a friendly and outgoing. After all it was her husbands idea!

I found this an easy going and enjoyable film. It is light hearted even the social worker scenes. The social worker at the end is either eccentric or maybe highly intelligent or maybe a bit of both.

Bleak Moments (1971)

A sensitive approach

[8/10 · 25 April 2000]

Having been a Fan of Mike Leigh for many years I was pleased to have the opportunity to see this early film. I saw this recently as part of a Mike Leigh season on the television. I work with adults with learning difficulties and think the subject was dealt with in a very sensitive way. This film shows how demanding it would be caring for someone like this full time at home. The carer doesn't get much of a life of her own (apart from when her work friend kindly babysits ), but loves her sister and wants to help her, she wants what is best for her. She is completely unselfish and loving. Her work friend is living with a miserable and ungrateful mother who is driving her mad but the same mother gets on very well with Hilda(the retarded sister)so she can't be all bad. I thought the Man who rented the garage to play his music was lovely, he kindly came and played music to Hilda which she loved. Plus he was company for Silvia. I thought this was a lovely film with some very good acting and a moving story.

Play for Today: 'Nuts in May' (1976) Season 6, Episode 12

Funny and Life Like

[9/10 · 7 March 2000]

I do not remember this film at the time it was first shown because at that time I would have only been 10 years old.

I have since become a very big fan of Mike Leigh and being keen to see every thing he has done I bought this film on video fairly recently.

The film is both very good and very funny. It is much better than something like carry-on-camping(although that was good)because it is much more life like. Keith and Candice-Marie are ordinary people on an ordinary camping holiday. I loved the bits where Candice Marie is struggling to keep up with her husband on the walks. I have that problem sometimes, except in our case it is me who wants to go whilst she is dragged along.I would not have recognized her as the same actress who played Beverly in Abigails party(Alison Steadman).In that she was the bossy one whilst in this she is one getting ordered around by her husband.She has been in several Mike Leigh films and I think she is one of his best actresses, in each one her character is so different it could be a completely different person . Keith's character was great, he appears to want his own way all the time and keeps on laying down the law.Whilst I am sure he meant well I can see how he would have driven everyone mad. Ray was good too I could see how embarrassed he was when Keith and Candice Marie made him join in with their singing. Well worth watching.

Topsy-Turvy (1999)

Unusual for me but great

[10/10 · 25 February 2000]

Under normal circumstances I would not have gone to see this film. I have heard very little of Gilbert and Sullivan and I do not normally enjoy period dramas, in fact I rarely watch films at all. Because I love Mike Leigh's films I had to go and see it. I have not been to the cinema for ages it is so long since I last went that hadn't realised they was no longer had a man sitting above the audience showing the film. I thoroughly enjoyed this film it was not too long as many reviews state .I have difficulty sitting still to watch a half hour TV program but I didn't notice the time. It was lovely to see so many of the acters who have been in other films of his, although I could hardly recognize them whilst they were playing these characters. I have never seen an opera of any sort live so I cannot compare it but I thought it was great. The music was lively and the shows looked really effective. It is obvious that a lot of work has gone into it.

It would not have been anywhere near as enjoyable without the scenes in between the stage acts. The rehearsals were fun to watch and I'm sure true to life. I thought the parts where they showed amusement at new inventions, like lump sugar and reservior pens were funny, just like we do at todays progress. The part where the Japanese women were bought in was good too and of course their home lives and relationships. All in all this film was well worth seeing.

Naked (1993)

Sad, but an eye opener.

[8/10 · 22 February 2000]

I will start by saying that this is not the sort of film I would normally watch, but as I have loved all of Mike Leigh's films I bought the video and watched it.

Unlike most of his films I had already seen, this one is not at all funny, but it wasn't meant to be, it is still good. We can see how complicated some peoples lives are. I really do not think that Johnny was really bad. This man's life was in a complete mess and he was angry and frustrated. I felt sorry for him. Homeless people are among those I feel most sorry for. I feel people like him need help not punishment. David Thewlis's acting was excellent, forming this character must have been very hard work for everyone involved.

Although I prefer his others films this one is still as good.

Meantime (1983 TV Movie)

A fustrated family

[8/10 · 18 February 2000]

Although this film was made in 1983 I have only recently seen it. It featured as part of a Mike leigh feature on TV last year. Once more these people are like real poeple not acters which is something I admire most about his films.The family in this film are all unemployed and are getting on each others nerves. They are living in a cramped house and are constantly rowing, this I think is down to fustration about the situation. They are taking it out on each other. The father keeps nagging his sons to go out and get a job whilst he does not appear to be making any effort himself. At least one of the sons did try to do something, that was until his brother stuck his nose in. Something I notice not only in this film but elsewhere too is that many people without a lot of money always manage to find money to smoke and drink.The sad thing is they haven't many other pleasures in life, these things are the way they relax and unwind . It perhaps helps take minds off their troubles for a while. I enjoyed this film, it is well made, well acted and a lot of research has gone into it.

Play for Today: Abigail's Party (1977) Season 8, Episode 3

Like peeking into an everyday social gathering

[9/10 · 15 February 2000]

This was the second Mike Leigh film I saw. I was looking for a video to rent to watch during an evenings baby-sitting and I came across 'Abigails Party'.I saw that it was devised and directed by Mike Leigh('Grown Ups ) 1980. As I had really enjoyed that I decided to hire this one.

As soon as It started I knew I was going to like it. It was just like 'Grown Ups', very funny in a life like way. They were all a bit strange (except for Sue ) Beverly walked all over her husband and he let her, Angie made her husband look stupid by talking for him all the time, you could see he was irritated but he sat there bottling it all up. They were arguing about the sort of things that are often argued about all the time like what music to play. Sue was the quiet one who appeared to be happy to fit in with what ever they did. This play was cleverly titled,Abigail was never seen. She was across the road having her own Party her Mum ,Sue was over here to keep out the way.

Actress Alison Steadman has real talent for forming characters, she has been in many Mike Leigh films and is so different you wouldn't recognize her

My friends arrived home early from their night out and ended up watching it with us and we all enjoyed it.

High Hopes (1988)

Money isn't everything

[8/10 · 13 February 2000]

The paragraph describing this film said it was about a group of people who come together when Mum locks herself out. This is misleading as that is only a small part of the film , there is much more to it than that, I saw this film as part of a Mike Leigh feature on TV.

I straight away recognised Philip Davis who also stared in Mike Leigh's 'Grown Ups' even though it was 20 years earlier that I had seen that. He looked very similar but his character, Cyril was much better tempered than Dick had been. Cyril and his partner Shirley are the only ones who seem to care about poor old Mum. They are also kind hearted enough to help out a stranger who was lost and confused. Her other daughter Valarie appears to care more about her dog and her own life. The toffee nosed couple next door would rather leave the poor old women standing out in the cold when she locks herself out and don't want anyone to get in the way of their life.

This film lets us see that having money doesn't always mean happiness. Cyril and Shirley are much more contented than their richer neighbours and sister. They are also much less selfish. I would rather have them any day

BBC2 Playhouse: Grown-Ups (1980) Season 7, Episode 5

My Introduction to Mike Leigh

[10/10 · 12 February 2000]

I discovered this film quite my accident 20 years ago when I was 14. I was at home with my family, we were flicking from channel to channel trying to find something to watch on telly. We settled on something which I thought was one of the best and funniest things I had ever seen.

This was 'Grown Ups' and it made such an impression that I still remember the characters and some of the scenes even now, I did see it again a year or so later. This film brings to attention just how silly a group of so called grown ups look bickering argueing and bullying each other and how silly their behaviour can seem. The acting was excellent, they were all so realistic. Brenda Blethyn was as good in this film as she was in 'Secrets and Lies'. Her character was similar ( very emotional ). I felt sorry for Gloria and wished someone would protect her from the foul tempered Dick, although I could see she brought a lot of it on herself. I am sure she meant well really.

Since this I have seen many more Mike Leigh films and have become a very big fan. This is one my favourite films of his

I have been trying hard for a long time to obtain this title on Pal Video, can anyone help?