The Mike Leigh blog 5

Home Sweet Home (1982)


This film about the lives of some postmen is pretty forgettable to be honest.  Nothing to write home about you might say.  There you go, I've covered it.

Meantime (1983)


This is an example of 80s anti-Thatcher type film-making.  Probably films like this are why Mike Leigh is often confused with Ken Loach.  Seriously that shouldn't happen - Leigh is in a different league, I think.


Anyway, Meantime is a bit dreary - life for the losers on the dole, you know the kind of thing.  Not exceptional.  Actually, now I look at it, the 80s were not (in my opinion) a very good period for Mike Leigh.  Then what happens in 1990?  Life is Sweet.  Perfection - and everything from there has been magnificent apart from Career Girls.  So the 80s didn't seem to suit him that much.


Probably the anger - it siphoned the human condition down to its relation to one solitary thing :  Thatcher.  


One thing to note about Meantime is its roll call of quality actors : Alfred Molina, Tim Roth, Gary Oldman in his film debut.  Leigh really knows how to spot talent - giving Gary Oldman a break into films was quite a coup for the bearded, northern one.

Four Days in July (1985)


This is the first departure for Leigh - from his usual subject matter and location I mean.  It's Leigh 'does' the troubles in Northern Ireland.   The ending is quite sweet - where a protestant and catholic woman both end up having babies at the same time in the hospital and sit there talking about stuff.  Or is that a heavy handed metaphor?


It's OK.  I'd watch something like 'The Crying Game' or 'In the Name of the Father' to be honest.


The end of a bit of an under whelmed Mike Leigh blog.  And I claim to love this film director???   Ahh - the joys and raptures are yet to come really.  I will soon be singing the praises of some of the greatest English films ever made.