A new film from the great Mike Leigh is always something to look forward to. This one is set in present day London, with Marianne Jean-Baptiste starring as Pansy Deacon, a depressed middle-aged woman. It examines the relationships with her family and friends, including the fragile relationship with her sister, Chantelle (Michele Austin), who is the total opposite of her.
After his recent period pieces, Leigh returns to his roots with this sharp present day drama. He has created a real monster in Pansy: imagine Victor Meldrew amped up to 11, and Jean-Baptiste inhabits the character with a passionate rage. She is like a less extreme version of Johnny from 1993’s Naked and her performance is pitch perfect, allowing us just the merest glimpses of her kinder side that has all but disappeared after a life of small disappointments.
Austin is excellent too as the compassionate sister who refuses to give up on Pansy, as are Sophia Brown and Ani Nelson, who play her daughters.
Leigh shows, even now he is in his 80’s that he is still one of our finest directors, and more pertinently, one of the very best screen writers. His script is peppered with hilarious lines but also portrays desperate lives of unhappy characters peerlessly. It is not heavy in terms of plot as it just depicts about a week in the life of the linked participants but it is does so with a keen ear for dialogue and a humanity.
Rating: 9 out of 10