The Arbor Reviews
The Arbor review
Posted : 9 years, 8 months ago on 20 August 2014 04:42I was expecting a pleasant relaxing summery film full of flowers and Laura Ashley dresses. Instead hereโs a part documentary, part acted and lip synched account of life on a tough council estate in Bradford, England, centred on a young playwright (who found fame with the 80s film Rita, Sue and Bob Too in particular) and 4 generations of her family. Itโs engrossing, uncomfortable and thought-provoking. It may make very interesting play with layers of illusion and reality- acting, plays, films, TV, news reports- but itโs about as truthful an account of the lives of the underclass in Britain over the past few decades as weโve had. Lessons should be extended to systematic policy failures over drugs, alcohol, social deprivation, racism, violence, prisons, funding of social care, and a range of attitudes including on gender. But i doubt for the most part they will be- for although the film makes a very good job of presenting the main characters involved in a sympathetic way which reduces viewer judgmentalism, there are still the usual convenient scapegoats for tragedy- faceless social workers. And so the principle causes of the unfolding problems are easily missed.
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The Arbor review
Posted : 11 years, 8 months ago on 5 September 2012 08:14Nice Film. Enjoyed watching it, good for a reasonably low budget film/documentary. Good actors and actresses, very underrated film. Give it a try, im sure you will love it :)
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