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Vera Drake
on DVD (2004)
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Brief synopsis of Vera Drake
Mike Leigh produces another devastating masterpiece with the heartbreaking VERA DRAKE. Imelda Staunton is the title character, beloved wife of Stan (Phil Davis) and mother of Sid (Daniel Mays) and Ethel (Alex Kelly). Vera spends her days cleaning houses for money and looking in on elderly and sick neighbours out of the kindness of her heart. She even attempts to be a matchmaker for her daughter, inviting a lonely neighbour, Reg (Eddie Marsan), to see if he might be a perfect match for the introverted Ethel. But Vera performs another duty that her family doesn't know about, one that is deeply frowned upon by society. When tragedy befalls a young client of Vera's, the truth comes out, forcing her family to see their mother in an entirely different light. Staunton gives a towering performance and, in typical Mike Leigh fashion, the story, characters, and script were built from a gruelling and intricate improvisation process, resulting in a film that burns with heart-wrenching sincerity. Rather than take a heavy-handed approach towards his controversial subject matter, Leigh heroically remains non-judgmental, delivering an achingly humanistic drama that will linger with audiences long after they leave the theatre.
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Critics Reviews
Radio Times
Set in the repressed and repressive Britain of 1950, director Mike Leigh's drama hinges on a stunning lead performance from Imelda Staunton. She plays an altruistic but naive cleaning lady who secretly helps out unfortunate girls by performing backstreet abortions. But when her actions are discovered, the law — and, at first, her own family — reprimands her severely. Staunton is nothing less than superb, conveying a world of misery with the merest of looks. Equally fine are the support performances (especially Phil Davis as her husband, Stan), plus Leigh's impeccable re-creation of both place and period. If there's one small criticism to be made of the film, it's perhaps a touch too relentlessly dark and dour. Otherwise, this is as good, if as grim, as it gets.
Time Out
Mike Leighs latest film is his best since Secrets & Lies and bears some similarities to that excellent,...
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Daily Mail
The most magnificent film of the year. A masterwork.
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