GIRLS' NIGHT (M). (Beyond Films) Director: Nick Hurran Stars: Julie Walters, Brenda Blethyn, Kris Kristofferson, George Costigan, Philip Jackson, James Gaddas Running time: 108 minutes.
Who would have thought that a low budget British film about two middle aged women would have been so damn heart wrenching, or, indeed, so entertaining?
Jackie (Julie Walters) and Dawn (Brenda Blethyn) are life long friends and sisters-in-law, who have grown up together in the working class town of Rawtensell, in northern England. They work together in an electronics components factory and live in the same street. Dawn is self-sacrificing and reserved, and devoted to her family, while Jackie is abusive, sharp, and combative, with a healthy disregard for rules and authority.
The only escape from the drudgery of their work and domestic environment is their weekly Friday night outing to the local Bingo hall, where they can briefly dream of a better life. Jackie and Dawn have always shared their small winnings. This night, Dawn wins the jackpot, a piece of good luck that changes their lives in totally unexpected ways.
Jackie finally finds the courage to leave her husband and quit her boring job. Then Dawn is struck down by a mysterious illness. She is diagnosed with terminal cancer, but decides to keep it a secret from her family while she undergoes treatment. The worried Jackie learns the truth, and, on a whim, whisks Dawn off to Las Vegas to fulfil a life time dream in the short time she has left. Along the way, the two women learn much about themselves, their friendship and their lives that enriches them.
Like Thelma And Louise, this warm and moving British film is a wonderful testament to that special bond of friendship that develops between two women. However, Girls' Night is tinged with a haunting air of poignancy given Dawn's terminal illness. Kay Mellor (Children's Ward, Band Of Gold, etc) was inspired to write the film following the death of a close friend, which lends an emotional potency to the story. The script is rich in insight and perception, and features a pair of warm, credible and beautifully developed central characters about whom the audience comes to care deeply.
Blethyn has made the role of the feisty working class house wife her own in recent years, but her performance as Dawn lends a vibrancy to the film, giving the character an unexpected depth and vulnerability. She delivers a solid, touching performance that is thankfully free of some of the clichéd nuances of more recent films (In The Winter Dark, Music From Another Room, etc).
Walters, too, is well-suited to her role as the bold, brassy and tarty Jackie, and delivers her best performance since her breakthrough role in Educating Rita. Kris Kristofferson's screen comeback continues to go from strength to strength, and he gives a sympathetic, likeable performance in the smaller role as Cody, the ruggedly handsome cowboy the girls meet in Vegas. The supporting cast all deliver solid performances.
Nick Hurran, a veteran of tv dramas making his feature film debut, handles the material with surprising empathy and compassion. He wrings every laugh and tear from the material, without becoming obviously manipulative. The film beautifully evokes the drudgery of life in a northern town with honesty. Hurran depicts the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas with the awe struck approach of an outsider visiting the town for the first time. He creates a wonderful contrast between Las Vegas and the harsh environment of Rawtensell, in which the characters are sustained only by their optimistic dreams.
Girls' Night is easily the best British tear jerker since Richard Attenborough's Shadowlands.
**** greg king http://www.netau.com.au/gregking
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