It started by having a short stint at the Edinburgh Film Festival. I noticed it would get an extremely small release. Sadly, I initially could not see any releases near me. Then I saw that it was coming out on DVD a few days after its cinema release.
When I thought I would never a big-screen experience, my local Picturehouse managed to get one screening of it for one day only.
I was already seeing a concept that is very similar to the 2006 film Venus which starred Peter O'Toole and Jodie Whittaker. Instead, we have Timothy Spall and Juno Temple. When this type of story works, it's very moving and entertaining. This is definitely another one of those.
When our main characters have had enough of an introduction, it is quite gripping development and by the time the final act arrives there are many charming moments that ends with an emotional and satisfying ending.
Most of the film is shot and set in Blackpool, and they really make it look great. The nightlife looks magical and the sights look stunning, especially the Tower Ballroom. I have to mention a first for me, and that is my hometown of Southport got a mention in a film. With the film being filmed and set in Blackpool, I did have a feeling that the fellow Lancashire coastal resort would get mentioned.
Also, the score by Anne Dudley accompanies the images really well and fits the tone, especially in several highly memorable scenes.
Temple and Spall are great together. Their back-and-forth develops beautifully throughout, including a 'Beauty And The Beast'-esque scene that was really charming. Temple was probably the more enigmatic of the two. Her performance felt gritty, genuine, highly committed and she has such striking eyes that I won't forget anytime soon. She has a solid recent back catalogue, and I hope this gets her much bigger roles.
Timothy Spall continues his grizzled performance that he started in Mr. Turner. It is one that fits his persona perfectly at this moment in his career and it continues show how fantastic of an actor he still is today.
I must mention that Hayley Squires play a minor role in this, and she certainly makes the most of the small time she has on screen. After her terrific performance in 'I, Daniel Blake', I really hope she gets the opportunity of roles in powerful dramas.
There were some parts of the story that went down strange tangents that did not quite work as well as expected.
A big negative was the choice in editing. There are many flashback scenes, and the timing felt wrong as it was hard to tell where it fitted in with the stories timeline. There were even times where I couldn't tell if I was flashback or not.
Despite those inconsistencies, my overall view of the film is a very good one. It was a really well made story that was simple and grounded. It had me in a range of emotions that worked well at the right times. Temple is fantastic in this, and her chemistry with Spall is really strong.
For someone who lives in that part of the world, it was great seeing Blackpool be a beautifully shot backdrop to this lovely story.
I really hope this gets some love on DVD as it got a criminally small cinema distribution.
Rating: 8/10
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