Alison Steadman

Sylvestra Le Touzel

David Thewlis

Wendy Nottingham

Mike Leigh

Roger Pratt

Lindy Hemming

Malcolm Hirst

Rachel Portman

Heather Storr

Sandra Shepherd

Donald Banks

Anthony Black

Katy Radford

Jon Gregory

Diana Charnley

Victor Glynn

Simon Channing Williams

Mark Sherwood

Comedy

Romance

TV Movie

The Short & Curlies

Portman Productions

Channel 4 Television

United Kingdom

Peter McGinn

This is a fairly light and airy film, and attracted me only because it was directed by Mike Leigh. It doesn’t have any of his signature emotional drama or climactic scenes, but rather it tells the simple story of an unlikely suitor slowly winning over his love interest. I say slowly because everything is relative, the film being merely 17 minutes long to begin with.

I suspect Leigh also didn’t employ his frequent technique of allowing the actors to ad lib, but he does use good actors, such as a very young Alison Steadman, whom I have enjoyed in many later roles. Ms. Le Touzel, who is less recognizable to me though I have seen her also in many productions, is subtle and gentle in her portrayal of Joy, the object of our comic hero’s love.

This is no masterpiece perhaps, but it does what it sets out to accomplish and tells a sweet little love story. If this is your first Mike Leigh film, start making a list of his other efforts, topped by his classic masterpiece (in my humble opinion, as the saying goes) Secrets and Lies. I envy you for watching them the first time.

English

The Short & Curlies   Mike Leigh