Pros: Despite the relatively simple plot and largely unknown cast, this film is memorizing. Hilary (Olivia Colman) is a mentally unstable theater supervisor who befriends and has a wild affair with her young co-worker, Stephen (Micheal Ward). Each have their own demons, not to mention a vast age gap. Hilary has a mental illness and Stephen deals with the vile racism in 1981 coastal England. It is a gentle story but one worth watching.
Cons: In addition to the mutual attraction between Hilary and Stephen, she is initially engaged in an affair with the theater owner, Donald Ellis (Colin Firth), despite him being married. However, after her breakdown and subsequent stay in a mental ward, he has moved, for unclear reasons. While that needed to happen as Hilary needed to return to the theater, it was too convenient for him to have left. Still, other than that, the screenplay (from director Sam Mendes himself) is top-notch.
Recommend: Yes
Grade: A-
Side Notes:
-Of course despite Hilary being a solid character, constantly pissed off and misused by men, I was rooting for Stephen to end up with Ruby (Crystal Clarke, Georgiana from Sandition) his first love, emotions clearly written all over his face.
-It is always hilarious when two people try to keep their relationship a secret and they such a bad job of it that their co-worker can't help but two and two together.
-Films about the love of movies are always great; a better example is the brilliant 1989 Italian film Cinema Paradiso.
-Toby Jones's character can't even remember why he left his son so therefore it mustn't have been for a good reason.
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