CAREER GIRLS (1997) Reviewed by The Movie Kid Copyright 1997 Rob Reser
UK Director: Mike Leigh Writer: Mike Leigh Stars: Katrin Cartlidge, Lynda Steadman, Kate Byers, Mark Benton.
Director/Writer Mike Leigh (SECRETS AND LIES) brings us another candid into the ordinary lives of ordinary people. This time we get a look at two women who once roomed together in a London flat during college. The film starts 6 years later when Annie (Lynda Steadman) arrives to meet here old flat mate Hannah (Katrin Cartlidge of BREAKING THE WAVES) whom she hasn't seen since graduation. The movie follows the two women over a day and half since Annie has only a short time for her visit. We meet the girls through a series of flashbacks and through their encounters in their search to find Hannah a new place to live. Bumping into familiar faces along the way we seem to piece the lives of these two women together almost as much as they do on their journey. Starting off awkwardly unsure of how to react to each other and ending by being closer than they had ever been. The dialect is heavy and hard to get used to at first but by the time the girls go apartment hunting I found myself drawn into their mysterious past. Coincidence abounds and sometimes feels preconceived but it's not too hard to believe that these two women might just have that kind of luck.Jumping through many emotional hoops along the way CAREER GIRLS is a mesmerizing glimpse into Mike Leigh's characters. Katrin Cartlidge is especially wonderful in her role bouncing quickly between sarcasm and sincerety. 2 ½ spots (out of 4)
Favorite Line: Hannah looking out an 8th story window over the city; "I guess this is where you watch the class struggle from."
Rob Reser aka THE MOVIE KID
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