"Career Girls" is Mike Leigh lite.
Coming off the much-lauded, emotionally taut "Secrets & Lies," the acclaimed filmmaker cleanses the artistic palate with another tale of two women, only this time the seemingly slight story -- about two former roommates who are reunited six years later -- generates more laughter than tears.
But while humor abounds, the reflective piece nevertheless carries an emotional heft that tends to sneak up on the viewer after the fact. It's a testament to Leigh's tremendous skills as a storyteller and the splendid performances of his leads, Katrin Cartlidge ("Breaking the Waves") and newcomer Lynda Steadman.
While it's not the kind of material that generates Oscar buzz, and those thick accents can at times be challenging to North American ears, "Career Girls" should still make a decent theatrical living given Leigh's considerable select-site following.
The flashback-heavy picture focuses on Hannah (Cartlidge) and Annie (Steadman), two 30-year-old reformed misfits who once shared a London flat in the mid-'80s. Both appear to have come a long way from those post-adolescent days when Hannah was one big nervous tic and Annie had a blotchy skin disorder that made her feel and act like a social outcast.
When Annie accepts an invitation to visit Hannah six years later, the women have blossomed into tic-free, blotch-free, well-adjusted adults with good jobs and strong values.
In time, however, as the distance of those years apart begins to evaporate over a cup of tea, the old dynamics come back into play, and the friends' reflection of their shared past ultimately says a lot about who we are and how much we actually change.
Leigh certainly takes a couple of risks here. The wall-to-wall flashbacks, which in most cases would distract from the central story, may be a little jarring at first but ultimately succeed because they serve as an integral part of that story. In other instances, including one flashback sequence in which the two women and Annie's homely, stuttering friend Ricky (Mark Benton) argue at a pub, the dueling, twitchy assortment of behavioral spasms treads a fine line between parody and pathos.
Cinematographer Dick Pope does an effective job in using composition and distance to reflect the characters' shifting emotional states. So does the sparse but soulful original score composed by "Secrets & Lies" actress Marianne Jean-Baptiste and Tony Remy, which shares the soundtrack with several songs by the Cure.
CAREER GIRLS
October Films
Director-screenwriter Mike Leigh
Producer Simon Channing-Williams
Director of photography Dick Pope
Production designer Eve Stewart
Editor Robin Sales
Music Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Tony Remy
Color/stereo
Cast:
Hannah Katrin Cartlidge
Annie Lynda Steadman
Claire Kate Byers
Ricky Mark Benton
Mr. Evans Andy Serkis
Adrian Joe Tucker
Ricky's Nan Margo Stanley
Lecturer Michael Healy
Running time -- 87 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
Coming off the much-lauded, emotionally taut "Secrets & Lies," the acclaimed filmmaker cleanses the artistic palate with another tale of two women, only this time the seemingly slight story -- about two former roommates who are reunited six years later -- generates more laughter than tears.
But while humor abounds, the reflective piece nevertheless carries an emotional heft that tends to sneak up on the viewer after the fact. It's a testament to Leigh's tremendous skills as a storyteller and the splendid performances of his leads, Katrin Cartlidge ("Breaking the Waves") and newcomer Lynda Steadman.
While it's not the kind of material that generates Oscar buzz, and those thick accents can at times be challenging to North American ears, "Career Girls" should still make a decent theatrical living given Leigh's considerable select-site following.
The flashback-heavy picture focuses on Hannah (Cartlidge) and Annie (Steadman), two 30-year-old reformed misfits who once shared a London flat in the mid-'80s. Both appear to have come a long way from those post-adolescent days when Hannah was one big nervous tic and Annie had a blotchy skin disorder that made her feel and act like a social outcast.
When Annie accepts an invitation to visit Hannah six years later, the women have blossomed into tic-free, blotch-free, well-adjusted adults with good jobs and strong values.
In time, however, as the distance of those years apart begins to evaporate over a cup of tea, the old dynamics come back into play, and the friends' reflection of their shared past ultimately says a lot about who we are and how much we actually change.
Leigh certainly takes a couple of risks here. The wall-to-wall flashbacks, which in most cases would distract from the central story, may be a little jarring at first but ultimately succeed because they serve as an integral part of that story. In other instances, including one flashback sequence in which the two women and Annie's homely, stuttering friend Ricky (Mark Benton) argue at a pub, the dueling, twitchy assortment of behavioral spasms treads a fine line between parody and pathos.
Cinematographer Dick Pope does an effective job in using composition and distance to reflect the characters' shifting emotional states. So does the sparse but soulful original score composed by "Secrets & Lies" actress Marianne Jean-Baptiste and Tony Remy, which shares the soundtrack with several songs by the Cure.
CAREER GIRLS
October Films
Director-screenwriter Mike Leigh
Producer Simon Channing-Williams
Director of photography Dick Pope
Production designer Eve Stewart
Editor Robin Sales
Music Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Tony Remy
Color/stereo
Cast:
Hannah Katrin Cartlidge
Annie Lynda Steadman
Claire Kate Byers
Ricky Mark Benton
Mr. Evans Andy Serkis
Adrian Joe Tucker
Ricky's Nan Margo Stanley
Lecturer Michael Healy
Running time -- 87 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.