I am a cinema usher, and I had the great privilege of working on one of this film's local premieres in the Liverpool area. The 500+ seat venue was sold out within the hour, which in my seven years of work I've only ever seen happen for Disney's Beauty and the Beast and Avengers Endgame. Obviously the fact that cast members such as Ricky Tomlinson were in attendance will draw more patrons than usual, but the sheer number of people excited about this film is a real credit to the production team.
The story concerns a 12-year-old girl called Laura who dreams of playing football for Liverpool FC. She is from a very typical working-class Scouse family with a labourer dad, carer mum, wisecracking grandad, and an older brother who lives with Cerebral Palsy but possesses a wicked and often adult sense of humour. On her journey Laura must battle through personal tragedy to discover the true value of her life - a refrain cleverly explored through the use of a metaphor involving a 'precious stone'.
I understand that this film was made on a shoestring budget, but it is professionally done. The writing is full of heart and humour, the location work is excellent, and the editing has a rather moving Ken Loach quality which put a lump in my throat at times. I would describe it as a 'courageous' film - telling a gritty and realistic tale with no apologies or cop-outs. The acting is also very believable and moving. Leanne Best absolutely steals her one scene as a paramedic; she delivers a short speech on the importance of fatherhood which in the wrong hands might have seemed insincere and cheesy but she makes believable. The young actress (Poppie Jae Hughes) who plays Laura is unbelievably talented for her age, and I can certainly see her 'going places'.
As a born-and-bred Scouser myself with a passion for creative writing, it gives me a lot of hope to see a young creative like Daniel P. Lewis producing unmistakably Scouse productions of this quality. I actually shook his hand after the film and he was really modest and kind. I wish him all the best with 'Our Kid' and I can't wait to see what he does next.
