davidjack

I have been trying hard to buy this film and others by Mike Leigh for a long time and at last managed to track them down in the USA.

This was an amusing film about 3 post office workers and their families. Stan who's wife had gone and left him was busy having affairs or chatting up his mate's wives and other ladies. His poor daughter must have found it hard when she came to visit from a children's home and it all came to a head in front of her. She may think twice about visiting her Dad again let alone living with him! I had to feel sorry for Harold, whatever he tried to do for for his wife (June) he couldn't please her and his attempts at humor failed to amuse his work mates. I think Hazel was simply being friendly when she asked Stan in for a chat and had no intention of having an affair with him. She is a friendly and outgoing. After all it was her husbands idea!

I found this an easy going and enjoyable film. It is light hearted even the social worker scenes. The social worker at the end is either eccentric or maybe highly intelligent or maybe a bit of both.

Having been a Fan of Mike Leigh for many years I was pleased to have the opportunity to see this early film. I saw this recently as part of a Mike Leigh season on the television. I work with adults with learning difficulties and think the subject was dealt with in a very sensitive way. This film shows how demanding it would be caring for someone like this full time at home. The carer doesn't get much of a life of her own (apart from when her work friend kindly babysits ), but loves her sister and wants to help her, she wants what is best for her. She is completely unselfish and loving. Her work friend is living with a miserable and ungrateful mother who is driving her mad but the same mother gets on very well with Hilda(the retarded sister)so she can't be all bad. I thought the Man who rented the garage to play his music was lovely, he kindly came and played music to Hilda which she loved. Plus he was company for Silvia. I thought this was a lovely film with some very good acting and a moving story.

I do not remember this film at the time it was first shown because at that time I would have only been 10 years old.

I have since become a very big fan of Mike Leigh and being keen to see every thing he has done I bought this film on video fairly recently.

The film is both very good and very funny. It is much better than something like carry-on-camping(although that was good)because it is much more life like. Keith and Candice-Marie are ordinary people on an ordinary camping holiday. I loved the bits where Candice Marie is struggling to keep up with her husband on the walks. I have that problem sometimes, except in our case it is me who wants to go whilst she is dragged along.I would not have recognized her as the same actress who played Beverly in Abigails party(Alison Steadman).In that she was the bossy one whilst in this she is one getting ordered around by her husband.She has been in several Mike Leigh films and I think she is one of his best actresses, in each one her character is so different it could be a completely different person . Keith's character was great, he appears to want his own way all the time and keeps on laying down the law.Whilst I am sure he meant well I can see how he would have driven everyone mad. Ray was good too I could see how embarrassed he was when Keith and Candice Marie made him join in with their singing. Well worth watching.