Simply Perfect

Boring

It’s an especially fun movie from a director and cast who are clearly having a good time allowing themselves to let loose.

To all those who have watched it: I hope you enjoyed it as much as I do.

Somber ,but a good study of a woman who managed via her wry view to achieve success in a man comedic world ... Though the darkness we saw a flower bloom . Her jokes were off but this was an era when cruss was fash ..I must confesses the outrangesness certainly did raise a laugh ... This was a period piece . My comments would not be complete without mention if the excellent soundtrack ..

Hugely entertaining while I watched it but I think it helps if you experienced the back-to-back streets and working men's clubs in the '70s, as I did when I was living in Leeds. I was however able to pick plenty of holes in it after the credits rolled. We weren't told what the abusive father and husband did for a living (perhaps they signed on at the job centre?), the larking about in the pub with her husband seemed a bit unlikely, her confessional sequences in the spotlight were a clumsy device, there was no follow-up to the old comic committing suicide in the toilets, we had to assume that she did so well in the clubs that she was able to buy a flashy car and a country house, the mother episodes were a bit superfluous and it did start to drag towards the end. But the performances were excellent: Maxine Peake deserves a BAFTA and the little girl who played her as a child was also terrific. Also every detail from hairstyles to dress to wallpaper was spot on. The talent show auditions were hilarious and worth the price of admission alone. Don't be too hard on it, it's a thoroughly British film with an Original Screenplay and I think it's an utter disgrace that only three cinemas in London are showing it.

Maxine Peake is on top form as a conflicted maverick in seventies Yorkshire who rails against the endless stream of male violence ,human indifference and suffering with her dry wit. The film tips a huge nod to kitchen sink dramas like Saturday night Sunday morning and there's no flinching away from the racist /sexist/homophobic jokes of the era. This film is not for everyone but does provide lots of humorous lines and moments amid the relentless misery. Cameos agogo - even Corrine Bailey Rae gets a look in !

Having just returned from a screening I have to say this was a bit disappointing. The movie is being billed as a comedy however there is very little comedy to be found. The blurb gives the impression this is a comedy about an up and coming female comedian, however its more than halfway through the movie before she arrives on stage. There is only one scene when she is on stage and it only lasts a few mins. This is not a movie which has much to say about the world of stand up comedy. Its more of a biography which jumps back and forward over time which can be confusing. This is more one of those kitchen sink type dramas where almost every male in the film is a useless woman beater. Its a bit like Blonde Fist without the boxing. There are a number of recurring people throughout the film however there is no depth to them, her father is physically abusive, her mother an eventual alcoholic but there is no detail as to how these people seem to have ended up this way. They just "are" and that is all there is to it. She also has a brother who is played by the same actor as her father which was odd, there seems to be an issue with the relationship with her brother but again this isn't explored. Its just a confusing movie to watch as alot of the scenes seem to bet set up as comedic but the punchlines failed to land. Very people laughed during the movie with a full house. As far the main protagonist goes she isn't a likeable person either, she like the rest of the cast seem fairly one dimensional, which is a shame as the cast is excellent for a small budget film. Its a difficult movie to watch and an even more difficult one to enjoy. Its emotionally draining and has no pay off. Enough said.