keithburstein

In Small City the criss crossing lives of those surviving in the intensities of inner city London are given a dignity and poignancy that is unusual. This is enhanced by wonderful cinematic vision and emotionally telling music that fits perfectly with the whole. In addition the acting, at once natural and controlled, is exceptional.

London - a global meta city of multi dimensional infinite complexity- can be thought of as a set of competing 'nations'. Those who live in one may know little or nothing of what happens in the others.

Here we are given a privileged view of one of the most bleakly deadly- and yet alive- sub cities- maybe the Small City of the title.

The entirely believable relationship between the lead couple- one a seemingly demur young woman of East European extraction who turns out to be as deadly as any gang member- and the male lead- deeply saturated in the lethal play of the drug led warfare- aches with a kind of doomed urban glamour.

I'm writing this as I watch- so I don't know how it ends.

Highly recommended.

When a film captures the spirit of its time as magically as 'Monique' it deserves to be remembered. More in the realm of Pinter than the sex romp it is still described as this slow moving contemplation of an eternal triangle in suburbia is mesmerising and fascinating in its 1970 setting as the threesome explores the evolving allure between them. Most beautifully is the lacing of this quirky vision with the music of Bach modulated through various jazz style arrangements. This austere and noble accompaniment lifts the whole enterprise into the level of poetry. Appreciation of this film will grow I believe.