It's not often I get to see films set in Yorkshire. But I usually enjoy them as the stories are interesting and well told. They also portray the Yorkshire lifestyle rather well, whether it be in the city or in the countryside.
For this film, we'll be using the former as our backdrop.
It's directed by Clio Barnard, who has also made 'The Selfish Giant' back in 2013, which is also set in Bradford centred on the working class.
I think it's safe to say that this setting is Barnard's wheelhouse. It shows Bradford in a very honest way and it gives you a similar vibe that I got out of the city whenever I've been there.
The story itself is one of those romance films we've seen before. But I think what made this worth watching was the performances and chemistry of our two leads. While the experienced Claire Rushbrook gives us the emotion, Adeel Akhtar gives us the comedic relief and feel-good and together they work.
The supporting cast do a good job and just add those little touches that complete the entire mood of the film.
It touched on moments that are topical and relevant in that part of the world and dirty colour palette was the right choice.
While I did enjoy it, it barely did anything new to the genre and you could see where it was going. But sometimes, you need films like this to remind you of those supposed tired story archs that can still work with the right people. That for me what is makes film successful for a general audience.
Overall, this is a solid romantic drama with a feel-good vibe that makes it a rewarding crowd-pleaser.
As mentioned, the two performances by the leads work well.. The pacing does feel slightly uneasy at times. But it never detracted my overall view of the film.
As someone who has visited Bradford enough times to get a sense of the vibe and culture, it portrays that part of the world rather well. The noticeable passion showed that the filmmakers wanted to do the city proud with an honest working class story. I hope the director makes another so we can have a Barnard Bradford film trilogy.
Rating: 7/10
No comments:
Post a Comment