Review of The Unloved (2009) by Dickie L — 27 Jul 2010

There's a definite strand linking the works of Samantha Morton the actor with her feature directorial debut. The Unloved belongs somewhere between Under the Skin and Morvern Callar, its both a meditative piece with long dialogue free stretches, and an example of British social realism.

I was very happy to go along with the measured pacing for most of its length. The acting is excellent, as you'd expect, and there is a great sense of authenticty to the story - not suprising since its based on Morton's own childhood.

The drama, however, really slackens off in the final 30 minutes or so, and the soundtrack, which up until then is evocative in its quiet use of chimey percussive instruments, starts to depend lazily on indie Brit Rock songs. Nevertheless, I'm glad Morton is out there as a director - she shows great promise. She originally wanted Ken Loach to direct this, the result would surely not have been so nuanced and subtle.