This bleak, stark debut feature from writer-director Leo Leigh bears the obvious influences of his parents Mike Leigh and Alison Steadman; it has a barbed cartoony unhappiness, a depiction of its characters verging on caricature and misanthropy but not quite, and the notes of redemption offered at the end are ambiguous. It is not a theatre of cruelty so much as a theatre of mockery; a world where a lot of the time absurd people are laughing at the absurdity of others, partly – but not wholly – because of how unhappy they are.
Leigh’s work showcases how the sourness of the tone challenges the adjective used in the title. In the film, Maggie O’Neill portrays Sue, a woman who manages a children’s party shop that specializes in depressing party supplies like balloons and banners. Sue is also a fan of red wine. After her relationship ends, Sue attends her brother’s funeral where his body is carried in a surreal sidecar-hearse. At the funeral, Sue boldly flirts with Ron, one of the biker mourners, who is a divorced and masculine man. Ron has a son named Anthony, who is an elegant and flamboyant individual. Anthony is a dancer, a social media influencer, and is in a dysfunctional relationship with a wealthy older man (Jeff Rawle) who is not receiving any sexual gratification from their arrangement.
Ron and Sue visit one of Ron’s friends and laugh unkindly at his recent breakdown that occurred after his mother’s passing. The breakdown involved him stripping down in a forest under the moonlight. Later, Sue develops a good rapport with Anthony and witnesses his dance moves. She can’t help but cruelly laugh at them. However, when she sees a video he posted angrily accusing her of being manipulative, she regrets her actions. Ron himself is uncomfortable with his son’s identity and career as a dancer, but he doesn’t have the emotional vocabulary to express this. Meanwhile, his son mocks his father’s behavior backstage, and Sue, although not maliciously, mocks Ron’s intellectual interests in history without fully understanding them.
There is an unusual emotional element present, yet there is an intriguing aspect to Leigh’s decision to not conform to the commonplace expectation of relatable characters. There is a sense of redemption and forgiveness towards the conclusion, though it is not complete. It is intriguing how Leigh avoids providing any reassurance that these individuals have transformed or always possessed inner goodness and compassion.
Source: theguardian.com
