Jackson Booth-Millard
In the career of Oscar BAFTA nominated director Mike Leigh (Abigail's Party, Vera Drake, Another Year) this was the film that became his biggest box office hit, it features in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, so I was definitely going to watch it. Basically Hortense Cumberbatch (Broadchurch's Oscar, BAFTA and Golden Globe nominated Marianne Jean-Baptiste) is a black middle class woman who works as an optometrist in London, she was adopted as a child and has chosen to trace her family history and find her birth mother, she is warned about what could happen when trying to contact lost relatives, but she continues her investigation. Cynthia Rose Purley (BAFTA and Golden Globe winning, and Oscar nominated Brenda Blethyn) is a white working class woman who lives with her daughter Roxanne (Carrie & Barry's Claire Rushbrook), who works as a street cleaner, and despite an awkward relationship often visits her brother Maurice (BAFTA nominated Timothy Spall), who works as a photographer and lives with his wife Monica (Downton Abbey's Phyllis Logan). Hortense is baffled to learn that her birth mother is a white woman, it is Cynthia, she meanwhile has had an argument with Maurice, once he has left Hortense rings Cynthia and asks to speak to "Cynthia Rose Purley, referring to baby "Elizabeth Purley", born in 1968, Cynthia is shocked to realise she is talking to her long- lost daughter. Cynthia initially hangs up the phone, but Hortense calls back and is determined to find out more about her background, she convinces Cynthia to meet her outside a tube station, they go for a cup of tea, looking at documents Hortense shows her Cynthia feels ashamed, and cannot talk about the birth father. After a while Cynthia and Hortense have formed a friendship, Roxanne notices her meeting a black woman often, but Cynthia is secretive about who she is, she mentions the birthday party for Roxanne to her and invites her, with Maurice's permission accepted, despite thinking it will be awkward Hortense agrees. The day of the birthday barbecue arrives, Hortense posing as a work colleague, Monica makes everyone feel welcome, Cynthia makes open comments about Monica making improvements on the house rather than giving Maurice a child, and Maurice suggests to Roxanne going to college, she does not take this seriously, and while Maurice prepares the food Hortense answers questions from the guests about her career and future. Roxanne blows out her birthday candles, Cynthia becomes exceptionally nervous, she lets slip that Hortense is her daughter, everyone dismisses this as a drunken comment, but she insists it is true, and Roxanne walks out angry and horrified at her mother, Maurice finds her at a bus stop and calms her down. Maurice convincer her to return and talk to Cynthia, who apologises profusely, she explains she became pregnant at fifteen and the father sent Hortense away for adoption, she never expected Hortense to come back. In the heat of the moment Cynthia accuses Monica of being selfish, Maurice reveals that she is physically incapable of having children, they have gone to various doctors and therapies in the past, but she cannot conceive a child, he then loses his temper, stating he tries to make people happy and cannot take it anymore. Hortense has sat back and watched these secrets and lies unfold, Maurice stops her from leaving, he admires her for courage trying to find her own past, he does know who her father is, but will not reveal it either, Cynthia then explains to Roxanne that her father was an American medical student who disappeared following a holiday to Benidorm. In the end a while has passed and things have calmed down, Hortense is free to visit Cynthia and Roxanne at their home, Hortense says she always wanted a sister, Roxanne says that she would be happy to introduce her to people as her half-sister, in spite of the long explanation that comes with it, and the three of them gather at Cynthia's for a cup of tea. Also starring Elizabeth Berrington as Jane, The Bill's Michele Austin as Dionne, EastEnders' Lee Ross as Paul, Lesley Manville as Social Worker, Ron Cook as Stuart, Bridget Jones's Diary's Emma Amos as Girl with Scar, The Bill's Brian Bovell as Hortense's Brother, Trevor Laird as Hortense's Brother, EastEnders' Clare Perkins as Hortense's Sister-in-Law, Elias Perkins McCook as Hortense's Nephew, Big Brother's Keylee Jade "Shabby" Flanders as Girl in Optician's, EastEnders' Nitin Ganatra as Potential Husband, EastEnders' Stephen Churchett as Man in Suit, Coronation Street's David Neilson as Man in Suit, Abigail's Party's Alison Steadman as Dog Owner, The Royle Family's Liz Smith as Cat Owner, Calendar Girls' Angela Curran as Little Boy's Mother, Philip Davis as Man in Suit and Another Year's Ruth Sheen as Laughing Woman. Blethyn is fantastic as the emotional white woman who's past comes back to haunt her, Jean- Baptiste is great as the black woman longing to find out about herself, and Spall and Rushbrook give impressive supporting performances. The storyline of the black woman finding her white birth mother is interesting, the highlight is them talking in the café, and the other secrets and lies from other characters are good as well, this is essentially a razor-sharp observation of life in suburbia, full of melancholy, it is more about the characters interactions than the storyline, overall it is a must see British drama. It was nominated the Oscar for Best Picture and Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen for Mike Leigh, it won the BAFTAs for the Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film and Best Original Screenplay, and it was nominated for Best Film, and it was nominated the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture - Drama. Very good!
