The Dukes, Lancaster
Monday 7 to Thursday 10 March 2005

An excellent film

"Vera Drake is an excellent film,' said John before we even left our seats. He was right, too.

It is a long time since Lancashire-born Mike Leigh first hit the news in 1977 with his grotesque but hilarious Abigail's Party (see our review of The Dukes' stage production here), but he has been working steadily away in the meantime. Critics have found some of his output since then uneven in quality, but most would agree that Secrets and Lies, and his quirky Gilbert & Sullivan take, Topsy-Turvy, were good, strong pieces.

Mike Leigh is the often-undervalued doyen of our beleaguered British film industry, and Vera Drake, the latest film from his stable, has attracted much attention in the press. More notably, it has garnered a tranche of acclaim and awards, especially at our own BAFTAs, though the Oscars have predictably favoured the American-funded and the politically sanitised.

Which Vera Drake isn't. It is a hard-hitting, sometimes uncomfortable look at life in the 1950s, when Leigh himself was a youngster. Visually, it is packed full of fine period setting and detail (even down to the tea packets and the clothes they wore) and wry, gentle observation. The filming is a seamless delight to watch, with pan shots and close-ups highlighting the action and characterisation which are Leigh's sterling trademarks.

The script, too is elegant, sometimes lyrical (though I don't want yet"another cup of tea, dear' just now, thanks). His writing is so sharp and well-crafted that there is not a superfluous word. Far from it; Leigh also knows how to use silence to achieve dramatic effect and make his points.

The acting was powerful throughout. Imelda Staunton's outstanding portrayal of Vera has been lauded by many. It is quite wrong, however, to ignore the rest of the cast: all the other roles – Vera's family, friends, ‘clients' and so on - were also delivered with equal mastery of control, passion and authenticity.

As for the story, it tells of ‘Care in the Community' at its best – and at its worst – in the years just after World War II. These were the days when neighbours looked in on each other, especially the elderly or ill, to make sure they were alright, to make the inevitable cuppa. Contrasted against that was the unmistakeable but gradual emergence of a new bourgeoisie, the precursors of the nouveaux riches of Abigail's Party. You can't miss them!

There was a down side to this social utopia, of course. When a girl ‘got into trouble' her options were very limited if she didn't have a stash of cash and the right social background to help herself out. Social pressures, now just as then, led to a stark choice, one that legislation has now softened. I shan't reveal too much plot because some readers may not have seen this film yet.

Leigh handles his strong story with admirable control and neutrality. By this I mean that it is a highly-charged emotional narrative, but Leigh makes no judgement at all, and he invites the viewer to make up their own mind about the rights and wrongs of the issues he addresses. Whilst some disturbing questions are asked, Leigh is never melodramatic; rather he is clinical (like a doctor or lawyer) in how he presents his case.

Which is no surprise, given that his father and mother practised as doctor and nurse respectively during their working lives. Leigh is said to have been greatly upset when his father died, and it is maybe not too fanciful to think that this film may have been meant as a tribute to him and his life's work among the less well-off in Salford.

Not only is Vera Drake a powerful memorial to times past, it is an excellent film as well. The captivated full house at The Dukes last night testified to that clearly enough.

Copyright © 10 March 2005 Michael Nunn