Vera Drake

Jose Miller17 said:I've seen four of these... Naked is on a whole different level... 😍...

45 and counting 😁😁

Which 4?

Ugh, I am seriously losing my mind waiting to see this movie!
And you guys are all just out here dropping nothing but top-tier reviews...🙂

Brenda Rodriguez17 said:Which four?

Vera, All or Nothing, Secrets & Lies, and obviously Naked...
...

I’ve revisited quite a few of his TV movies from the seventies, and honestly, those remain his finest work. Especially 'Nuts in May'—that one song, "I want to go to the zoo," is just pure genius.
'Naked' was the last truly great one for me; I struggled to get through his more recent stuff because by the time I hit 'Secrets & Lies,' I was already feeling a bit burnt out.
With 'Topsy-Turvy,' the challenge isn't starting it, but rather finding the stamina to make it all the way to the end.

Jose Miller17 said:Vera Drake, All or Nothing, Secrets & Lies, and obviously Naked...
...

And what about Career Girls, Life is Sweet, Bleak Moments, High Hopes, and Topsy-Turvy?

Alex Rogers96 said:What about Career Girls, Life is Sweet, Bleak Moments, High Hopes, or Topsy-Turvy?

.....I'm hoping I get a chance to catch those. Bleak Moments was one of his early ones... just praying PBS puts them on... High Hopes too...

Terrifying movie!
The atmosphere hit me hard—it felt incredibly raw, dark, and heavy.
That ending really sticks with you.
Even I couldn't help but notice about ten people in the theater cracking up at Rego's observation.

And Imelda Staunton was flawless. I'm rooting for her to snag an Oscar.

👍 👍

Unfortunately, I’ve only seen Secrets & Lies so far, and I really loved it.😁

Btw, don't hold your breath for Imelda Staunton to snag an Oscar—no way. They're way more interested in Annette Bening.🙄 🙄 🙄

* — who basically ruined one of my all-time favorites, The Grifters

I'm curious about why that wealthy woman in Vera Drake just disappears halfway through the movie after she goes to see that fancy doctor for an abortion?

Was she only included to highlight how expensive it is to have the procedure done legally?
Or was it because Vera was cleaning her house, so the camera simply stayed glued to her?

Justin Patel said:Was she only included to show off how much money goes into making this legally?

...
I feel like... honestly, you get the sense that something big is actually going to happen with her...

Justin Patel said:I'm wondering why that rich lady in Vera Drake just vanished halfway through the movie? (Like, she went to that fancy doctor for an abortion and then...)

Was she just there to show how expensive it was to do it legally back then?
Or was it because Vera was cleaning her house and the camera just stuck to her?

Probably just there to show the price tag and how things worked back then. Yeah.

to demonstrate how it’s perfectly legal for the wealthy, yet strictly illegal for the poor—and oh, the sheer hypocrisy of those legal violations!

I caught this movie about two weeks ago. Man, just once I’d love for American distributors to actually surprise me for a change—this thing hit our theaters practically a week or two after the UK premiere. And get this: the theater was actually packed. I was genuinely shocked... The film is great, though it felt pretty different from the other Mike Leigh movies I've seen. It's incredibly bleak, gray, and heavy, but he nailed that 1950s atmosphere perfectly. The acting is absolutely phenomenal!! Personally, I still think All or Nothing, Naked, Secrets & Lies are better, but hey, at least this is the first solid film of 2005!

In case anyone is interested...

Over at The Guardian, Mike Leigh and Lynne Ramsay are chatting about their own films.

Right here

Bad movie for me.😕 And pretty bad, too. Like you guys said, one big issue is that subplot with the wealthy woman. It’s like a useless appendix that just leads nowhere. I get that it's supposed to show how some people get a pass while others don't, but the way it's woven into the story is just garbage. That couple, > and her partner—what was even the point? Mila is so muddled she barely says anything about the actual theme (abortion), and he just acts stupidly and naively good because he supposedly grew up with tons of siblings. Then there's the sister-in-law, just a damn shallow and wasted character. Total waste of time!!

To get straight to the point, they completely missed the mark with the main theme: abortion. You could have had such intense dialogue about it, used it to really break down the characters, but no. For half the movie, > is just skipping around happily performing abortions, and the other half is just mumbling and crying. Empathy level: 0%. Frustration level: 100%.

It was about as bad as > for me. Haven't seen > or the others.

blueranger12 said:Total dud for me.😕 Like you guys said, that whole subplot with the rich lady was a waste. Just a dead end that goes nowhere. It tries to make a point about privilege, but it’s just poorly integrated. And that couple, Ethel and her guy? What even was that? She’s too muddled to say anything meaningful about the abortion theme, and he just plays this naive idiot who "understands" because he grew up with brothers. Then there's the sister-in-law—just a flat, useless character. Total waste of screen time.

To cut to the chase, they completely blew the main hook: the abortion plot. You could have had some heavy dialogue or used it to actually break these characters, but nope. Half the movie is just Vera skipping around doing procedures, and the other half is people stuttering and crying. Empathy level: zero. Frustration level: 100%.

It was about as bad as All or Nothing for me. Haven't seen Naked or Secrets & Lies.

no comment.

Brenda Rodriguez17 said:I've got nothing to say about that.

😁Exactly.

blueranger12 said:I hated it.😕 And quite a bit, actually. Like you guys said, the whole subplot with the wealthy woman was a total waste. It’s like a useless appendix—just sits there doing nothing. It tries to make a point about privilege, but it feels totally disconnected from the rest of the movie. Then you have Ethel and that guy... what's his name? She's too muddled to say anything meaningful about the abortion theme, and he just plays this naive, simpleton type because he grew up with a bunch of brothers. And the sister-in-law? A completely flat, wasted character. Total zero.
To keep it brief, they completely missed the mark with the main motive: abortion. You could have had some killer dialogue or used it to really test the characters, but instead, half the movie is just Vera skipping around happily performing abortions, while the other half is just people mumbling and crying. Empathy level: 0%. Frustration level: 100%.
It was about as bad for me as All or Nothing. Haven't seen Naked or Secrets & Lies.

1. If we're being specific... the wealthy woman subplot isn't "wasted," it's just weirdly paced... kind of like that appendix analogy you used...
...it kicks off with a lot of energy and then just dies.
2. Don't even get me started on Ethel and "that guy"...🙂...they don't need to lecture us about abortion... why would they?... "that guy" said more in one single sentence than he ever needed to...😁...
3. The sister-in-law is flat? ...Sister-in-laws are flat, fathers are flat, friends are flat... some people are just flat.😁
....
In my opinion, the abortion thing is just the catalyst for the plot...

Honestly, Ethel and that guy are actually my favorites 😁 Watching them walk through the park is just funny. And when 'that guy' says this has been his best Christmas ever, it didn't even make me laugh 😕 I just pictured him all alone without the TV (😁) and without anyone else, realizing how much better that actually is. Who knows, maybe I've lost my spark, or maybe I need to start drinking.

They aren't one-dimensional. Maybe they're shallow, but not one-dimensional (don't ask me to explain the difference, I don't know either). But the dad is a good man because he stood by his wife and tried to understand her. Like, he didn't love it, but he knew she didn't mean any harm. He's the deepest character behind Vera. Also, why didn't they go back a bit further in Vera's past? Show us how it happened so we could actually get it? The "what ifs" would have helped...

Just a plot device? What plot? Maybe just a way to build up that heavy atmosphere?

blueranger12 said:Alright, look, Ethel and that guy are actually my favorites. 😁 That scene where they walk through the park is funny. And when "that guy" claims this is his best Christmas ever, it didn't make me laugh. 😕 I just pictured him without the TV (😁) and without anyone else, and realized how much better that would be. Who knows, maybe I’ve just lost my touch, or maybe I need to start drinking again.
They aren't flat; maybe they're shallow, but not flat (don't try to figure out the difference, I don't know either). But the dad is solid because he stood by his wife and tried to understand. Like, he wasn't thrilled, but he knew she didn't mean any harm. He's the deepest character behind Vera. Also, why didn't they dive more into Vera's past? Give us some backstory so we actually get it. What if things had gone differently?
Just a plot device? What plot? Maybe just a way to create a heavy atmosphere?

...so now you're telling me that walk in the park isn't something...😍...
...and now that you've imagined him without a TV...🤣...no wonder he was so depressed...what war? He didn't even have a TV!! 😁😁...
...well...the past...that part felt unfinished...I got the impression it was intended...but to me, she was more like a vertical axis that the whole movie revolves around...like a central pillar of New York. You have hundreds of different families and fates, but if they share anything, it's her...Vera...the only thing bigger than faith is—tea...tea and faith...that was the vibe of the 50s...New York and tea were accessible to everyone... at least until they squeezed them out. I also find it interesting how you have this completely ordinary woman performing abortions like she's just brewing tea... faster, actually...there's no over-the-top heroism or glorification here...
...I always feel like Mike Leigh is talking about family above all else.