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A Fillum about Uz!
Anita & Me is a new film written by local girl Meera
Syal, well known for her appearance on "The Kumars at No. 42." and
"Goodness Gracious Me".
Supposedly set in a fictional Midlands "mining" town, although the factory
bus seemed to be the only clue to industry in the film, it was enjoyable to
watch on many levels.
It was very amusing to hear so many references to the local area and the
highlight to many was seeing a van with "King of Sausages - Cannock Branch"
written on the side. I can't imagine many cinemas in the country where that
got as much of a laugh !!.
Next there was the mixture of Midlands accents - and a varied bunch too!
I always feel uncomfortable when listening to someone who thinks that
everyone in the Midlands talks like Amy Turtle, and I'm afraid there were
some very strange ones here, but also some very subtle good ones. I think
the problem is that the accent is only half of it. People never use the
colloquialisms that we use, although there were definitely more than a few
sprinklings of "Bostin'!" and "Wench " to make up for that. I
suppose it would have very little chance of doing well in the USA if they
couldn't understand a word!
Set in the 70's it gave the opportunity for a very nostalgic soundtrack, my
only complaint is there was only one Slade track. And a cameo by Noddy
Holder would have been a real coup !
On a serious level, it's the story of a young Indian girl, growing up in a
town as near to the countryside as her parents could get, torn between two
cultures. Her parents want her to pass her exams to get into the local
girls high school, while she wants to be blonde and write stories for
Jackie magazine.
Her friendship with an attractive blonde neighbour which closely mirrors the
relationship of two cultures is the main story to the film, and her desire
to be a successful writer does make me wonder how autographical the story
is.
She also lives in a town and a decade where "Paki bashing" was a common
phrase, and calling a dog "Nigger" didn't raise any eyebrows, and I think
this is where the film is a great success, one minute you are laughing ,
and the next minute you are squirming in your seat with the realization of
how everyday and ordinary, through ignorance, racism was.
Overall, the combination of a good story, nostalgia, a quality cast and
lots of local interest result in a very enjoyable film.
From an hilarious "Crocodile Dundee" 'my knife is bigger than yours'
scene, the hippy vicar, to the old lady in the corner shop who everyone
will recognize as one of their relatives (she reminded me of my Aunty Ada)
I can highly recommend this one.
Thanks Melv for this review - why not tell us what you think of a movie you've seen?
Email your review to newsdesk@yampy.co.uk
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