|
Remarkable , 20 February 2009
-
-
Vera Drake
on DVD
(2004)
Starring: Imelda Staunton, Estelle Harris, Phil Davis
Director: Mike Leigh
Certificate: 
I am a relative newcomer to Mike Leigh, having been put off by the bleakness of Life is Sweet some years ago, and then the annoyong character of Poppy in Happy Go Lucky. However seeing the fantastic Secrets and Lies recently prompted me to give his stuff another chance and boy am I glad I did. With an exceptional performance from Imelda Stauton as Vera, the movie is full of humanity and never glosses over the contradictions at the heart of that most emotive of subjects: abortion. Set in a period where only the wealthy could procure 'clean' abortions, cleaning lady Vera accepts no money for what she calls 'helping' working class girls out when they accidentally get pregnant. The illegality of the actions she takes is not an issue for Vera as she sympathises with the circumstances of those she helps and is a genuinely good soul who forces us to consider how moral a puritanical law prohibiting such measures really is. The daughter of one of her employers, played by Sally Hawkins, highlights this dichotomy when she is able to discretely abort a baby after being forced into sex. The unfairness of what happens to Vera is doubly felt when we consider the ease at which Hawkins' charcter slots back into her routine. The class divide perpetuates a hypocritical attitude to abortion which it seems the wealthier characters can afford to merely play lipservice to. A mother and wife much loved by her family, the revelation of Vera's secret life threatens to destroy their tranquility when she is arrested.
The imposition of personal, black and white legislative morality clashes with personal ethics in this simple but moving story, sadly to Vera's detriment. To me, the movie shows how necessary it is to allow women choice - there are many parts of the world where women are forced to take illegal measures to deal with unwanted pregnancies so although a period piece, there is much still relevant in Leigh's moving tale. Featuring strong supporting performances from Phil Davis as Vera's loyal but conflicted husband and Eddie Marson as neighbour Reg, the film is a compelling and naturalistic observation of how one woman's ideals clash with the pervading social mores of the time. Confounding both the viewer's own beliefs of what a backstreet abortionist is and encouraging us to consider our own stance on abortion, this movie is a must see that doesn't preach either way. Staunton is so believable you forget she is acting and makes Vera her own - it's incredibly hard to think of anyone else playing this role which surely says it all.
 
66%
from 51,173 members
|
