Girls' Night

"Girls' Night" (a misleading title) tells of two middle aged, working class English women best friends and what happens when one is diagnosed with cancer. Although the film is about a last blast in Vegas and the usual throes of terminal illness, the greater story and substance shows how people grow and mature through their experiences and encounters with others. A very well managed and typically austere little Brit flick, "Girls' Night" is a character-driven drama which is more uplifting than woeful, features sterling performances by the Blethyn and Walters, and serves up positive subliminal messages instead of wallowing in grief. Most likely to be appreciated by more mature audiences, particularly females. (B)

40-year best friends, co-workers and sisters-in-law, make it out of their British working class neighborhood for a fantasy trip to Las Vegas, tempered by the fact that one of them is dying. Director Nick Hurran and writer Kay Mellor combine quite a number of different ingredients here (including illness, men-vs.-women, factory life, family problems, financial windfalls, travelogue and lovestruck cowboys); and yet, despite some missteps, this weeper from the UK is a worthwhile journey anchored by terrific performances. Playing the firebrand and ill-tempered man-chaser, Julie Walters tones down her sometimes-brash personality and has several beautifully realized moments. As her "mate", Brenda Blethyn juggles the more standardized clichés of a character with a limited amount of time left (she's brave, she glows, she's suddenly strong and charts her own course); however, Blethyn is very engaging and works so naturally and easily with Walters that their friendship strikes nary a false note. Hurran's dreamy framing of this story, with a puzzling introduction, may put some viewers off, but those who stick with it will find a rewarding drama about friendship and love. These themes have been touched on before in films--and true, there isn't much originality or surprises in Mellor's script--yet the bumps in the road are actually rather endearing, and by the end of "Girls' Night" I was moved by the thoughtfully worked-out transition of the plotting. It's a minor gem. *** from ****

I I would recommend this movie to anyone I was going through something and they have a best friend that's there for them after she gets told off all she realize she hasn't been a good friend or sister-in-law very selfish until she finds out that she's about to oh one true love and that's a sister-in-law.

Girls' Night is a revelation, a subtle and masterful little film that builds slowly, creating beautifully nuanced characters, and ultimately delivering a deeply-felt emotional wallop thanks to the magnificent performances of its two stars, Brenda Blethyn and Julie Walters. The power between them is so intense, so true and so pure that the energy of it literally sears through the screen.

Girl's Night is a bit sentimental for my taste and there were fewer funny lines than I expected but the performances are the thing and both "girls" are superb and great foils for one another.I particularly enjoyed the Las Vegas section as I was there last year so it all came back.