This is a perfect introduction to the films of Mike Leigh. As with most of his work, there is the mundane, leading to a climax of conflict between the characters, followed by life-changing realisation, where before there was denial and ignorance. It's deceptively bucolic, gripping stuff, highlighted by then wife, Alison Steadman's performance as Candice-Marie, a free-thinking, hippie. You can't decide if she is completely naive, or sincerely rebelling against Keith, her partner (Roger Sloman), a fiercely anal-retentive pedant. Similar patterns in story telling keep surfacing in Leigh's work: Life is Sweet, Secrets and Lies, All or Nothing, Vera Drake and it is always riveting. Where hope ends most of Leigh's stories, however, Keith's future looks less hopeful at the end of this early work.
Review of 'Nuts in May'
A couple goes camping, but find their neighbours to be less than desirable.
22 December 2006
Warning: Spoilers