Review of Meantime (1983) by Rod A — 05 Sep 2010

Mike Leigh's films often seem like cinema verite to me. "How does he achieve such realism?", I always ask. Meantime is a journey into the frustrations and paralysis of a lower-class English family.

Also present are explorations of why people choose to be self-proclaimed anarchists. Gary Oldman (whom I normally charge with over-acting) is perfect in his role as a skin-head. Though the film is in English, there were some segments of dialogue that were completely indecipherable.

Still, Leigh and the cast succeeded in taking me to a place that exists somewhere in England. These characters endure repeated indignity and frustration with a deadening calm, only to explode when it becomes too much.

The eruption is not choreographed like Scorsese, however. It's more awkward and arbitrary; just like in real life.