Annie (Lynda Steadman) is visiting her university flatmate Hannah (Katrin Cartlidge) after six years apart. Hannah is a corporate office worker and very different from before. Andy Serkis plays Mr. Evans who shows his flat to the girls. They keep running into people from their past. In flashbacks, Hannah had an explosive mean streak and Annie was painfully awkward with her facial dermatitis.
This Mike Leigh film has an interesting female friendship. A couple of aspects do concern me. First, the lady's weird ticks during the flashbacks are very big. It is obviously meant to show that the girls have grown up and changed. It's just a lot. The second is all the convenient run-ins with their past. Adrian is probably important but Claire is wholly unnecessary. It would be more powerful to save it all for Ricky. He's the more memorable character and the focus of the climatic tension. Overall, this is a solid Mike Leigh joint.
This Mike Leigh film has an interesting female friendship. A couple of aspects do concern me. First, the lady's weird ticks during the flashbacks are very big. It is obviously meant to show that the girls have grown up and changed. It's just a lot. The second is all the convenient run-ins with their past. Adrian is probably important but Claire is wholly unnecessary. It would be more powerful to save it all for Ricky. He's the more memorable character and the focus of the climatic tension. Overall, this is a solid Mike Leigh joint.