Wonderful performance by Imelda Staunton. I could feel all her sincerity, shame, embarrassment, horror, and fear. Every feeling showed on her face and through her body. Such a sad - and most likely a real - story.
A period flick signed Mike Leigh? By its title and subject matter, it feels like Vera Drake is a biopic about some landmark case involving a woman who practiced illegal back street abortions in post-War England. It completely hornswaggled me as it's a well-researched fiction and defied my expectations. Period or not, it's still Mike Leigh, so it's about people, subtle acting, and raw emotion. Imelda Staunton is shockingly good in the title role, just about the kindest person on Earth nevertheless chastised for her attempts to help young women in trouble. I love how the rest of the cast was kept in the dark as to her activities until essentially, the actors playing the cops show up at the door (indeed, Staunton didn't know her character would be arrested either). Leigh's improvisational experiments yield the most powerful scenes. His interest in the class system also creates a momentary subplot in which Sally Hawkins plays a society girl who gets into "trouble", but has very different recourse, ironic contrast to what happens in the main story.
A bit disappointed. It felt like a dry recital of facts taken from a newspaper article. I never really felt like they even intended on really giving the character any depth.
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devilsadvocado
A great work of realism that unfolds as naturally as a kettle boiling water on the stove--only with better drama.ClassicLady
Wonderful performance by Imelda Staunton. I could feel all her sincerity, shame, embarrassment, horror, and fear. Every feeling showed on her face and through her body. Such a sad - and most likely a real - story.toopsy
that woman can act, and knows her way with the kettleJoelston
Vera Drake certainly isn't my favorite Mike Leigh film, but Imelda Staunton's performance is heartbreaking.Siskoid
A period flick signed Mike Leigh? By its title and subject matter, it feels like Vera Drake is a biopic about some landmark case involving a woman who practiced illegal back street abortions in post-War England. It completely hornswaggled me as it's a well-researched fiction and defied my expectations. Period or not, it's still Mike Leigh, so it's about people, subtle acting, and raw emotion. Imelda Staunton is shockingly good in the title role, just about the kindest person on Earth nevertheless chastised for her attempts to help young women in trouble. I love how the rest of the cast was kept in the dark as to her activities until essentially, the actors playing the cops show up at the door (indeed, Staunton didn't know her character would be arrested either). Leigh's improvisational experiments yield the most powerful scenes. His interest in the class system also creates a momentary subplot in which Sally Hawkins plays a society girl who gets into "trouble", but has very different recourse, ironic contrast to what happens in the main story.BadFluffy
A bit disappointed. It felt like a dry recital of facts taken from a newspaper article. I never really felt like they even intended on really giving the character any depth.