Tina Takes A Break is the follow-up to the excellent Tina Goes Shopping. This drama takes place a few years after the first film and shows very little has changed for Tina. The plot line involves Tina wanting to take her kids on holiday to Blackpool unfortunately, she is arrested after a failed robbery attempt to raise the funds. The kids get hold of a bag of money left by a local drug dealer for Tina's other half to look after. They use this to fund their trip to Blackpool, parent-free.
Like the first film this is genuinely funny and tragic. This film focuses on the children (instead of Tina and her adult neighbours). Tina's daughter even provides the narration (instead of Tina herself, in the previous film). The film shows how Tina's young children are roped into crime (burglary, joy riding etc) by an older teenage boy. The film raises issues of where adulthood and childhood collide and shows how people can be victims of their circumstances.
The cinematography is superb using hand-held camera-work and naturalistic sound to its advantage. The Tina series has been compared to Shameless; I personally prefer Tina as it is less cartoon-like and features no happy endings.
Summary: An excellent TV drama; made better for not going down the obvious plot-sequel route. Recommended for fans of the series or people who like naturalistic and funny dramas.
Like the first film this is genuinely funny and tragic. This film focuses on the children (instead of Tina and her adult neighbours). Tina's daughter even provides the narration (instead of Tina herself, in the previous film). The film shows how Tina's young children are roped into crime (burglary, joy riding etc) by an older teenage boy. The film raises issues of where adulthood and childhood collide and shows how people can be victims of their circumstances.
The cinematography is superb using hand-held camera-work and naturalistic sound to its advantage. The Tina series has been compared to Shameless; I personally prefer Tina as it is less cartoon-like and features no happy endings.
Summary: An excellent TV drama; made better for not going down the obvious plot-sequel route. Recommended for fans of the series or people who like naturalistic and funny dramas.
