Blimey, it's like we're having a Shane Meadows season in our house at the moment.
Once Upon A Time In The Midlands is set (once again) in a (you guessed it!) Midlands town (but filmed in Nottingham).
Robert Carlyle (Jimmy) is a loser up in Scotland, who sees his ex partner Shirley (Shirley Henderson) being proposed to on TV, but then turning the suitor (Dek) down.
After a bungled robbery, he decides to head back down south to try and win her back. Henceforth, there is a struggle to win the affection of Shirley between Dek and Jimmy, with Jimmy and Shirley's child being caught in the middle.
There were some great (albeit stereotypical) performances by Kathy Burke and Ricky Tomlinson, and Robert Carlyle was his usual brilliant self.
I would never (ever) class myself as a fan of Rhys Ifans, but his portrayal of Dek was really good, just eliciting the right amount of sympathy for him, without it becoming too maudlin. Dek started off being a right sad git, but became more likeable as the film went on, so at the end, you were rooting for him to win his girl (and family) back.
The FPO was weeping, so it must have ticked the correct boxes for her (unless of course, she was just re-evaluating her life with me, which would explain why the tears went on for so long).
Anyway, l digress. Definitely worth watching, but still no-where near as good as 'This is England', as Shane Meadows has just got better and better as time has been moving on (unlike the rest of us old gits).
toodle pip
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