A very good movie

To be honest, it has been a while since I have seen this flick and I should definitely check it out again at some point. Anyway, even though Mike Leigh has a really stellar reputation and he is arguably one of the best British directors alive, I have to admit that I’m not always blown away by his movies. There are some exceptions though and this movie is definitely one of those. Indeed, it was with this movie that Leigh finally burst into the international scene and, even though his work would always be rather bleak, here, it was something really pitch black. The most memorable thing about this feature will always be the impressive performance by David Thewlis and it is rather unfortunate that he would be instead always remembered as one of those many British actors that showed up in the Harry Potter franchise as he gave here by far his best performance. Eventually, to really appreciate this movie, it all depends if you can handle Johnny, the main character. Indeed, he must be one of the most despicable and sinister main characters I have ever seen but I thought he was quite fascinating to behold. To conclude, it is pretty much a British classic and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you are interested in Mike Leigh’s work.

8/10