Mike Leigh's 1984 film Meantime was originally made for TV (one of the first films made by Channel 4, in fact) as Leigh was at the time unable to secure a theatrical release. Indeed, he had to wait another five years before gaining a cinema release for High Hopes (only his second big screen film) , which then thankfully set him on his now well-charted path of cinema film-making. Meantime has therefore attained something of a cult following and is probably one of Leigh's less well-known works. This is a shame as Meantime provides one of the most outstanding, and realistic, portrayals of (London) urban life under Thatcher ever made and is, for me, right up there with Topsy Turvy, Naked, Life Is Sweet and Secrets and Lies as one of Leigh's best ever works.
Principally set on a council estate in Haggerston, East London, Meantime is also notable for featuring three outstanding (and arguably, career-best) performances by three of its main protagonists - brothers Mark Pollack (Phil Daniels) and his mentally slow sibling Colin (Tim Roth, in an amazing performance), and their mate Coxy, a racist skinhead brilliantly played by Gary Oldman.
The film is a near-perfect depiction of the various social milieus predominating in modern-day Britain, both at the time the film was made (1980s) and those prevailing currently (2020s). Meantime's narrative focuses primarily on the social divisions between Mark and Colin's working class family, with their parents Mavis and Frank, brilliantly played by (the now famous) Pam Ferris and Jeff Roberts, respectively, and that of Mavis' sister Barbara (a film-stealing performance here by 'film' debutant, and later Leigh-regular, Marion Bailey) and John (Alfred Molina). From the brilliant opening sequence where Mark and family have gone to visit Barbara and John in their middle (seeking to be upper-middle) class semi-detached in Chigwell, Essex (the residence of choice for many current day footballers), it is clear what Leigh's focus is for the film. This opening scene sets up perfectly what is to follow as Mark answers back to his 'Aunty Barbara' as she patronisingly pets Colin, with parents Mavis and Frank always on the back-foot seething with resentment at Barbara's social pretensions. The sequence where Barbara and John arrange a nest of tables in the lounge with near-military precision before serving tea is absolutely hilarious, and just one of many examples of brilliant Leigh exposition in the film.
In typical Leigh fashion, the film does not contain a single storyline as such, but instead is a sequence of set-pieces designed to illustrate the Pollack family's struggle to survive against prevailing social forces including racism, social services (typified via a superb dole office scene) and soul-destroying poverty. However, Leigh does not let the Pollacks off scot-free, as Frank and Mavis are shown to be their own worst enemies, with petty bickering and Frank habitually lazing around their council flat all day in his pyjamas and dressing gown. Leigh also includes an outstanding scene as the Pollacks are visited by Peter Wight's hippy-like council Estate Manager, who engages with Barbara (visiting her sister at the time) in a key debate around 'economics', which we discover Barbara studied at college, and which Wight disparagingly dismisses as the study of money and power (to which of course Frank, as relating to Barbara, nods knowingly). This scene can perhaps be regarded as something of a precursor to Wight's magnum opus scene with David Thewlis in Naked.
Given the superficially depressing and cynical nature of Leigh's storyline and characters, he does (as is his wont), however, provide some degree of positive (albeit mixed) resolution as Barbara and John are shown to be just as fractious a couple as Mavis and Frank, and, most importantly, Mark's underlying affection for brother Colin is finally revealed more explicitly as the two share a joke at the film's conclusion.
A final word on some of the acting on display here. Marion Bailey's performance demonstrates, for me, what is so impressive about Mike Leigh's method, eliciting such a natural, but brilliant, performance exuding aloofness, confidence, tenderness, doubt and finally hysteria. It is perhaps surprising that Bailey does not appear to have recaptured such form in later performances, albeit she was also very good in Leigh's later All Or Nothing and Vera Drake. Mention should also be made of the excellent Tilly Vosburgh as Hayley, put-upon and long-suffering friend of Mark and Coxy.
The film also features a great soundtrack written by Andrew Dickson and comprising a sparse mix of ominous, tinkling piano interspersed with tenor saxophone (one of Mike Leigh's favourites, apparently). This was Dickson's first score for Leigh, and was followed by soundtracks for many later Leigh films including Vera Drake, Secrets and Lies and Naked.
A must-see classic from a master film-maker.
Principally set on a council estate in Haggerston, East London, Meantime is also notable for featuring three outstanding (and arguably, career-best) performances by three of its main protagonists - brothers Mark Pollack (Phil Daniels) and his mentally slow sibling Colin (Tim Roth, in an amazing performance), and their mate Coxy, a racist skinhead brilliantly played by Gary Oldman.
The film is a near-perfect depiction of the various social milieus predominating in modern-day Britain, both at the time the film was made (1980s) and those prevailing currently (2020s). Meantime's narrative focuses primarily on the social divisions between Mark and Colin's working class family, with their parents Mavis and Frank, brilliantly played by (the now famous) Pam Ferris and Jeff Roberts, respectively, and that of Mavis' sister Barbara (a film-stealing performance here by 'film' debutant, and later Leigh-regular, Marion Bailey) and John (Alfred Molina). From the brilliant opening sequence where Mark and family have gone to visit Barbara and John in their middle (seeking to be upper-middle) class semi-detached in Chigwell, Essex (the residence of choice for many current day footballers), it is clear what Leigh's focus is for the film. This opening scene sets up perfectly what is to follow as Mark answers back to his 'Aunty Barbara' as she patronisingly pets Colin, with parents Mavis and Frank always on the back-foot seething with resentment at Barbara's social pretensions. The sequence where Barbara and John arrange a nest of tables in the lounge with near-military precision before serving tea is absolutely hilarious, and just one of many examples of brilliant Leigh exposition in the film.
In typical Leigh fashion, the film does not contain a single storyline as such, but instead is a sequence of set-pieces designed to illustrate the Pollack family's struggle to survive against prevailing social forces including racism, social services (typified via a superb dole office scene) and soul-destroying poverty. However, Leigh does not let the Pollacks off scot-free, as Frank and Mavis are shown to be their own worst enemies, with petty bickering and Frank habitually lazing around their council flat all day in his pyjamas and dressing gown. Leigh also includes an outstanding scene as the Pollacks are visited by Peter Wight's hippy-like council Estate Manager, who engages with Barbara (visiting her sister at the time) in a key debate around 'economics', which we discover Barbara studied at college, and which Wight disparagingly dismisses as the study of money and power (to which of course Frank, as relating to Barbara, nods knowingly). This scene can perhaps be regarded as something of a precursor to Wight's magnum opus scene with David Thewlis in Naked.
Given the superficially depressing and cynical nature of Leigh's storyline and characters, he does (as is his wont), however, provide some degree of positive (albeit mixed) resolution as Barbara and John are shown to be just as fractious a couple as Mavis and Frank, and, most importantly, Mark's underlying affection for brother Colin is finally revealed more explicitly as the two share a joke at the film's conclusion.
A final word on some of the acting on display here. Marion Bailey's performance demonstrates, for me, what is so impressive about Mike Leigh's method, eliciting such a natural, but brilliant, performance exuding aloofness, confidence, tenderness, doubt and finally hysteria. It is perhaps surprising that Bailey does not appear to have recaptured such form in later performances, albeit she was also very good in Leigh's later All Or Nothing and Vera Drake. Mention should also be made of the excellent Tilly Vosburgh as Hayley, put-upon and long-suffering friend of Mark and Coxy.
The film also features a great soundtrack written by Andrew Dickson and comprising a sparse mix of ominous, tinkling piano interspersed with tenor saxophone (one of Mike Leigh's favourites, apparently). This was Dickson's first score for Leigh, and was followed by soundtracks for many later Leigh films including Vera Drake, Secrets and Lies and Naked.
A must-see classic from a master film-maker.