Sex Sex Sex Sex Sex. Vera also "helps" women out with unwanted pregnancies. "Vera Drake" makes us realize how few of the classic kitchen sink, working class dramas of post-war Britain, whether in film or theater, were from the viewpoint of women ("Georgy Girl" and "A Taste of Honey" were among the few). Each spectator will decide for oneself. (Jim Broadbent's performance may dominate Topsy-Turvy but the film is about the creative collaboration of Gilbert and Sullivan.) Vera Drake Islington, 1950. "Did he force himself upon you?" Come to think of it, most of Mike Leigh's movies have this effect. Heterosexual women have every right to an active sex life and to limit the number of children they have. It's not that we "identify" so much as that the film quietly and firmly includes us. Because of his well known creative process, the intrigue would be to see the actors and the characters and dramas (and comedies) they created. By. Susan rated it really liked it Dec 16, 2012 . She is so naive she does not understand her "friend" Lily is exploiting her. Charlady Vera (Staunton) bustles about keeping her family together and cheerfully helping others. Vera works cleaning the homes of the rich and also manages to pop in on sick and bedridden people that need care but she's equally adored by her husband Stan (Phil Davis) and her two adult children. Photo: Fine Line Features. His entire movie is a build-up to individual looks and faces; one especially fine scene is laid out incredibly well: we see a car pull up outside; inside, we get the news that someone is going to have a baby; then a knock at the door... What sets him apart from many so-called realists is that he's not an inept moviemaker. Vera sees no distinction when it comes to helping these people selflessly, and to her immediate family, especially her loving husband, she is nothing less than a saint beyond reproach. From the mundane to the sublime, this movie quietly brings you along until your heart breaks and your sense of justice is outraged. To her beloved and loving family, she's the soul of gentleness, the centerpiece of a happy home. Her husband, Stanley (Phil Davis), is a car mechanic. We must believe she has a simple, pragmatic morality to justify abortions, which were a crime in England until 1967, but we do believe it. As David Steel, sponsor of the private member's bill that became the legalising act of Parliament, wisely pointed out 'abortion did not begin in 1968'. When the poor continue to be crushed while watching the rich live above the law it invites anarchy and revolution. Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. Look at my mom: six of us in two rooms. Vera Drake, written and directed by the great Mike Leigh, isn't set in the U.S. at all; it takes place in economically pummeled, postwar working-class England, and yet it could be the film that begins to unite red and blue states reeling from one of the most polarizing elections in post memory (including 2000) in honest and intelligent conversation, if not necessarily consensus. Sally is raped by her boyfriend, becomes pregnant and goes to a psychiatrist who can refer her to a private clinic for a legal abortion. Excellent! It is destructive to any society when the wealthy and powerful can manipulate the functionaries of the system to lie for them. It's not entertainment but...this is an extraordinary piece of work. Thank you very much, Vera. Directed by: Mike Leigh. Wartime rationing is still in effect. see review. Vera Drake is a melodious plum pudding of a woman who is always humming or singing to herself. Colours and lighting have a purpose: showing the opposition of living standards. Vera (Imelda Staunton) buys sugar on the black market from Lily (Ruth Sheen), who also slips her the name and address of women in need of "help." They have two grown children, both still living with them in their small tenement flat: Sid (Daniel Mays), a gregarious apprentice tailor, and Ethel (Alex Kelly), a shy factory worker. Review of Vera Drake (2004) By Rex Reed (6,783) for New York Observer (1,413) on 13 Oct 2004 Despite the honest, penetrating and open-faced presence of the distinguished Imelda Staunton in the title role, the film is something of an ordeal… 16 years ago. Finally she whispers to his ear something we cannot hear: her action is beyond audible words. She helps the local women with abortions. Vera is Imelda Staunton who won, most deservedly, the Best Actress accolade in Venice. Over the course of about 45 seconds in which she doesn't say a word, Staunton's face registers every possible emotion: Joy, confusion, concern, fear, disgust, anger, guilt. A veritable masterclass in filmmaking, it nevertheless does feel very academic and studied and is not quite rough enough about the edges. There are moments when Leigh uses his technique of allowing a reticent character to stir into conviction. The method practised by Vera Drake in this film, pouring soapy water into the womb to terminate the pregnancy, was a popular one. Vera's husband Stan (Phil Davis), who works with his brother in an auto repair shop, considers his wife a treasure. the psychiatrist asks, and Sally is not sure how to answer. And the enduring strength of the film is the way it shows the Drake family rising to the occasion with loyalty and love. There is an unflinching dedication to emotional consistency and detail (such as the mechanics of the abortions), but it always remains humane (without ever turning sentimental); when one woman is raped, Leigh doesn't linger on the scene, he doesn't really even show anything. The other scene is at the police station, when Vera reveals to her husband Stan what she has done. Then Vera bends over to Stan, hiding the other officer: Vera's action has turned from unlawful to personal. Vera Drake. He believes in the law and enforces the law, but he quickly understands that Vera was not working for profit, and is not ungentle with her. When the cops enter the room, the camera freezes on Vera's face. Full Review | Original Score: B+ Film Threat I adore "Secrets and Lies", my 2nd favorite film of all time and Leigh strikes gold again in the emotionally draining, brilliantly directed study of a 50's era abortionist in London. Their desperation to abort was such. On the one hand, the friendly Sid cannot understand nor forgive what Vera has done. Some of the women who come to her have piteous stories; they were raped, they are still almost children, they will kill themselves if their parents find out, or in one case there are seven mouths to feed and the mother lacks the will to carry on. She is happy because she is useful, and likes to be useful. Where studio honchos salivate over the next Jack Nicholson powerhouse or Anthony Hopkins costume drama, there are far far too few Charlize Theron's Monster to counter. Story takes place in London in the 1950's where families are still struggling to piece together their lives following the war but one chipper woman named Vera Drake (Emelda Staunton) spends her time helping others. Reg served in the war as well as her husband (Phil Davis) and son (Daniel Mays). Winner of the Golden Lion at the 61st Venice International Film Festival, Vera Drake is a powerful character study about a generous but naive woman who allowed her good deeds to be undermined by secrets and lies. In fact, one's initial reaction to Mrs. Drake's activities is one of complete disbelief. She also performs discreet abortions for girls 'in trouble'. I can't praise this film enough and truly believe that this will be my favorite film of the year. The story affirms that capitalism is for the poor and the rich have their own form of socialism. Hopefully DVD will allow those who missed it to catch up with it and relish in it's brilliance. At the same time though, the movie clocks in at over two hours, and its unrelenting bleakness has a wearing effect especially since Leigh takes a decidedly episodic approach to his story. There is no shortage of unwanted babies needing parents to adopt them. Vera Drake is a selfless woman who is completely devoted to, and loved by, her working class family. The movie has been written and directed by Mike Leigh, the most interesting director now at work in England, whose "Topsy-Turvy," "High Hopes," "All or Nothing" and "Naked" join this film in being partly "devised" by the actors themselves. The film is set in London, England, during the 1950’s, and focuses on a working class family whose matriarchal figure, Vera Drake, is a gracious, altruistic woman who spends most of her time, energy, … Vera Drake (Imelda Staunton) is devoted to her family, looking after her husband and children, her elderly mother, and a sick neighbour. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism. In a film of pitch-perfect, seemingly effortless performances, Imelda Staunton is the key player, and her success at creating Vera Drake allows the story to fall into place and belong there. Staunton's is the one female performance of the year not to miss. Rated R Ed Gonzalez. After perusing the airline magazine reviews, and having heard that Vera Drake’s leading lady, Imelda Staunton, had been being nominated for best actress, I assumed it definitely would be a worthy choice. I found myself so pulled in by her performance that, for most of the film, I was unaware of 'acting' - only the remarkable woman that is the film's centrepiece. Today, Bush invites the "Christian Right" (and they are neither) to assert their power and to legislate morality for all of us. She looks after her sick neighbor often, checking in with him several times a day to see how he’s doing. Her shy daughter, Ethel (Alex Kelly), works in a lightbulb factory, and her son, Sid (Daniel Mays), tailors men's suits. The first one is when the police arrive at Vera's home. Winner of the Best Film Award at the Venice Film Festival, director Mike Leigh's "Vera Drake" is the agonizing story of a stolid, working class London married woman who leads two lives. Their daughter Ethel (Alex Kelly) is painfully shy, and there is a sweet, tactful subplot in which Vera invites a lonely, tongue-tied bachelor named Reg (Eddie Marson) over for tea and essentially arranges a marriage. Vera's world falls apart when the police become involved in an abortion that almost leads to death, and the tightly knit little family changes when the police knock on the door. : On the Many Faces of Frankenstein, Shadow and Bone Sets Itself Apart from the YA Pack with Welcome Restraint. It was always the poor but no less sexually active and fertile women who had to resort to women like Vera Drake. Like everyone in the movie, Sally is excruciatingly shy about discussing sex, and ignorant. The struggle for women's reproductive rights continues and the hysterical anti-abortionists have not given up in the least. Indeed there is an oversupply. The cinematography properly dark. The cast is marvelous. Slowly, the camera zooms in Vera and Stan: one officer moves off-screen. I finally watched it one night after coming from college with some friends. Imelda Staunton gives, yet another in Leigh's film, outstandingly powerful and true performance as Vera Drake. Reg delivers a powerful quote: "It don't seem fair. for depiction of strong thematic material, This Is Not a Burial, It’s a Resurrection, The Cruelest Month, Part 2: Love Song to a Genie, Nomadland, I May Destroy You Take Top Honors at 2021 Film Independent Spirit Awards, It's Alive! The shy daughter Susan (Sally Hawkins) is raped during a date. The magistrate is ruthless, but complies with the law. Vera hardly makes any argument for herself, either. Unbeknownst to her, black marketeer Lily (Ruth Sheen) charges those women. We must believe she's naive to be taken advantage of by Lily, but we do believe it. Because abortions have to be illegal, a woman almost dies. AnaΣtaΣia rated it really liked it Mar 15, 2011. As expected, this is a top notch visual presentation in all respects. She spends her days doting on them and caring for her sick neighbor and elderly mother. Drake is pictured as a kind-hearted, caring woman who is willing to care for others and to "help girls out." It was just that before 1968 these methods were illegal and often horrific. Along with Abbas Kiarostami, Mike Leigh must be the finest film artist now living. Many years ago, in 1953, to be accurate, girls were a lot more difficult to get into trouble. Leigh's point is that those with 100 pounds could legally obtain an abortion in England in 1950, and those with two pounds had to depend on Vera Drake, or on women not nearly as nice as Vera Drake. Other methods used by women included drinking a bottle of whisky and rolling down the stairs. Vera would never think of accepting money for "helping out" young girls when "they got no one to turn to," but Lily charges 2 pounds and 2 shillings, which she doesn't tell Vera about. She is happily married with two older children, and the family lives a comfortable working-class life. Michael Lloyd-Billington rated it really liked it Aug 31, 2019. We should all be grateful to Mike Leigh for this thoughtful film reminding us of the bad old days which surely no sensible people would wish us to return to. Vera Drake (Imelda Staunton) is a working class domestic who works hard trying to get by in 1950s' London. Going to see Vera Drake is one of those experiences that leaves you shaken and profoundly concerned. Generally not always. The camera emphasises this opposition: we seem to bump into walls and persons at Vera's home; shots are close, camera movements are rare as if we could barely move. She does not evaluate the consequences of her action, notably for her family who at the end is left morose. She claimed that she was "helping out young girls", but her position doesn't go beyond that or touch on the legality of abortion, which we were witness to earlier in the movie. "Vera Drake" tells a parallel story about a rich girl named Susan (Sally Hawkins), the daughter of the family Vera cleans for. However, she also secretly visits women and helps them induce miscarriages for unwanted pregnancies. She cares as much for her bourgeois bosses as she does for her husband George (Richard Graham), her two grown children (Alex Kelly and Daniel Mays), her mother (Sandra Voe), and nearly anyone who crosses her path. They were always worth watching in a voyeuristic way due to Leigh's unobtrusive camera work. Vera Drake succeeds because Leigh is not interested in sloganeering but in looking at the human and moral cost. Tom Landers. Vera is kind and innocent, but Lily, who procures the abortions, is hard, dishonest and heartless. In the early 1950's, Britain is still very much recovering from the war years and the working classes are very much held together by salt-of-the-earth types supporting their families and others. Starring: Philip Davis, Peter Wight, Imelda Staunton. The first thing that stands out is Imelda Staunton's gripping performance as Vera Drake, a middle-class mother and wife who's Kindness personified. Home » reviews » Kinsey, Closer, and Vera Drake (review) Kinsey, Closer, and Vera Drake (review) Sun Feb 27 2005, 03:31pm | comments off. On the other, warm colours and bright lighting for upper classes and institutions: homes (including Frank's), doctor, psychiatrist, clinic, courtroom, jail, etc. One such woman is Vera Drake; mother, wife, carer, cleaner and part-time back-street abortionist. Some may consider this a hot-topic issue film, but it's moreover an independent study of a woman and her life, and how her emotions play in her world. Oscar nominations will certainly follow. Imelda Staunton portrays eponymous loving wife and mother who has a very dark secret. [Graphic][4] I n Vera Drake , which won the prestigious Golden Lion award at September's Venice Film Festival and opened the Times /British Film Institute London Film Festival last month, the veteran English director Mike Leigh continues his dissection of … The film is not traditional realism in terms of acting, either -- the actors all have a very distinct look that has to do with the way they're shot, but each character, each actor, seems alive in such a way that isn't theatrical or exaggerated or false, but still animated. There is a general condemnation of abortion. (They are not 'Pro-life', they are pro-death penalty, pro-nuclear weapons, pro-war in almost any form.) Vera Drake is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. Surely no-one wants a return to this? Criminal. There’s a moment, toward the end of Kinsey, when the sex researcher — by this point half … He sets up the story here very smartly; it's Altmanesque the way that the lives intertwine. Genres: Legal Drama, Period Drama. Vera Drake (United Kingdom/France/New Zealand, 2004) A movie review by James Berardinelli Although Vera Drake is about the downfall of an abortionist working during a time when the law in England decreed that it was unlawful to perform an "unauthorized" operation, this isn't really an "abortion movie." "Vera Drake" was named best picture and Imelda Staunton best actress at the Venice Film Festival. And like Altman, the film has an observational style (the camera sits still as people walk about the house), though without his cynical humor. Wonderfully acting, developed and written even if the slow pace may put some off, Heartbreakingly Brilliant Acting: Mike Leigh's Finest Film, The most powerful female performance of the year, Haunting and engrossing performance by Staunton, A Superb Staunton But Desultory Tone Wears Thin, Outstanding characterisation and a lovingly crafted slice of British history - with traumatic and harrowing subject matter, Confirmation of the fact that real people like Vera existed, Captivating Central Performance Amidst Period Detail, gut-wrenching film set in post-WW II London. That would be vulgar and embarrassing. Mike Leigh has done it again. Mike Leigh has created a film that, although not easy to sit through, is one of the finest movies that have come out of the English cinema in a long time. A doctor and the psychiatrist benefit from the abortion "business", but are confined by the system. She is desperate to get rid of her pregnancy and her friend directs her to a higher cost abortion where a psychiatrist uses her aunt's suicide as grounds to terminate. It will be a rewarding experience for all to see. This is the way the British talked, almost always indirectly, hedging around issues rather than hitting them head on, and a slave to mannered behavior. A mother gives Vera away, but only after undergoing pressure from the police. Even though a number of the scenes are complete of themselves and incredibly well-wrought, none of them are "scenes"; the only hint of cinematic flair that Leigh indulges in are the recurring motifs of heavenly music. To some degree, the juxtaposition of scenes maximizes the later drama of consequences and ramifications, but the results are uneven because there is nothing remotely surprising about what happens to her. Also, once or twice a week she performs illegal abortions on women that need "help". But Vera is not a social worker who provides counseling; she is simply being helpful by doing something she believes she can do safely. In fact, one's initial reaction to Mrs. Drake's activities is one of complete disbelief. Abortion became legal in the UK 1968. You have stirred us once again. In fifties England abortion was a grey area. At Vera's final Christmas dinner, Reg, now engaged to Ethel, makes what for him is a long speech: "This is the best Christmas I've had in a long time. With three nominations for Vera Drake, the acclaimed director Mike Leigh took a deep breath and set off, again, for the Oscars. But is it just that? However, she also secretly visits women and helps them induce miscarriages for unwanted pregnancies. Her age-old method involves lye soap, disinfectant and, of course, lots of hot water, and another abortionist describes her method as "safe as houses.". But she only shines because of the company she keeps.This is ensemble acting at it's finest. On the one hand, cold colours and dim lighting for middle and lower classes: dwellings, workplaces, etc. A pair of nylons is bartered for eight packs of Players. Vera Drake, and Oscar-nominated film directed by Mike Leigh, tells the story of Vera Drake, a woman living in 1950s Britain. "Vera Drake" is one of those movies that takes you right in and does not release you until long after the movie is over. Vera Drake is a proper, working-class woman of her time. However not everyone shares her view of abortion and it is only a matter of time before Vera's work comes to the attention of the authorities. No melodramatics, no attempt to steal scenes,and the result is as honest as life itself. Vera Drake is a woman who will go out of her way to be of use to anyone that needs her. The courting rituals, the black market, the nuclear family, the living conditions and the bonds between people who had lost loved ones in the war are captured with a feeling of authenticity. In contrast, in the bourgeois' home, shots are more distant and the camera moves as if to benefit from available space. Review: Vera Drake. She works as a housemaid for a rich family and she has a loving patience for her family. In a courtroom scene, on the other hand, it is clear that the law makes no room for nuance or circumstance. Smashing!" As the film points out for the rich and well-connected there were always doctors willing to perform safe if illegal abortions for money. The eponymous character, Vera Drake, seems to perform good deeds day after day freely and naturally. That is not to say that there aren't any, it's just that it is rare for a female performance to blow you away in any projector driven screening. Set in working class London in the 1950s long before abortion was legalized, Mike Leigh's Vera Drake is about a middle-aged wife and mother of two who performs abortions on young women without means only because she wants to help them out. She takes care of her mother sometimes, who is elderly and ill. Des rated it it was amazing Jan 23, 2011. With Bush in the White House, it's deja vu. It's a shame this film got only a small release and audiences seemed unmoved by it. Women are not mere breeding machines for men despite some reactionary men wishing they were. [Graphic][1] ! The print is in pristine condition, as it should be, so all the visuals come across unhindered. She spends her days doting on them and caring for her sick neighbor and elderly mother. No matter what the law says, then or now, in England or America, if you can afford a plane ticket and the medical bill you will always be able to obtain a competent abortion, so laws essentially make it illegal to be poor and seek an abortion. There is an incredibly tense moment when she cannot voice what she did while he eagerly waits for the revelation. I don't think the technique has ever worked better than here; the family life in those cramped little rooms is so palpably real that as the others wait around the dining table while Vera speaks to a policeman behind the kitchen door, I felt as if I were waiting there with them. Every nuance of this film is perfectly crafted, from every performance, to the sets, and the cinematography. I should know because I was pushing 21 and still a virgin. On the surface it looks simple: a "realistic" movie depicting 1950 London and portraying a kind character fighting unfair anti-abortion laws. The direction wonderful. Vera Drake is a melodious plum pudding of a woman who is always humming or singing to herself. The movie is not about abortion so much as about families. She a inner-city housewife and mother, who spends much of her free time trying to "help out" the poor ladies of 50's London who are unable to get legal abortions. A doctor informs the police, but has no choice. 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