 | Vera Drake Director: Mike Leigh Rated: MA Palace Nova, Now screening  From one of Britain's all-time most successful cinema directors comes his most acclaimed film yet. Written and directed by Mike Leigh, 'Vera Drake' won the best film and best actress awards at the Venice Film Festival 2004 and has been nominated for three Academy Awards.We are in London in 1950, when a fresh pot of tea or some soap and water are panaceas for anything. It is a pre-TV world, full of delight; when people hummed tunes, whistled and sang to themselves. But on the dark side, it was a time when people couldn't say the words 'pregnancy', 'rape' and 'termination'. Legally sanctioned pregnancy terminations were only available in limited circumstances and even then they were very expensive. For the average woman, abortion was a life-threatening option. Imelda Staunton plays the cheerful Vera Drake, a selfless, working-class Londoner who is dedicated to serving her family and community. A secret aspect of her good works though, is that she helps young women 'in trouble' to induce miscarriages, seemingly routinely and fairly safely, with a douche of soap and antiseptic. When her activities (which are illegal in the 1950's) are discovered by the authorities, Vera's whole world quickly falls apart, deeply affecting both her and her unsuspecting family. Mike Leigh ('Secrets And Lies', 'Topsy Turvy') has employed his usual methods of developing the characters, story and dialogue through six full months of rehearsals prior to filming, resulting in extraordinary, almost documentary, realism. His actors come together knowing only what their characters would know in terms of the story. The meticulous design details of the sets and locations are also evolved to precisely recreate the world at the time. The tone and feel of the film is cleverly homely and human, though his characters are strongly portrayed by the committed supporting cast including Phil Davis and Peter Wight. They all appear as common-looking people of the type they don't really make any more. Dressed as they are from a charming wardrobe, it is a strikingly authentic portrait, evoking the era of our parents or grandparents. The moral dilemma posed to otherwise law-abiding citizens by unworkable laws is a subject of enduring universal concern, and Leigh is timely in dealing with the forgotten history of abortion. Reminding us of the guilt, profiteering and dangers common to any black-market, his brilliant film is engaging, informative, cautionary and endearing.  | |
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