August 27, 2002
A quirky modern western, OUATITM is a refreshingly funny peek into the fairly dire lives of a motley bunch of working-class Brits.
The film opens with two of the central couples of the tale exposing themselves to ridicule on TV's 'Face The Feltz' (yes, Vanessa does feature). Black sheep Jimmy (Robert Carlyle as a Begbie-esque Scots scally) spots his ex refusing the hand of her new bloke on the show, and after a quick bit of armed robbery to pay for the trip (watch out for a cameo from Vic and Bob!), he heads back down south to return to her life (and that of their 12-yr-old daughter - played feistily by newcomer Finn Atkins). A few punch-ups, near-misses and emotional crises later, and all is resolved in true spaghetti-style.
Another fable of Nottingham estate life from the pens of writer/director Shane Meadows and his childhood mate Paul Fraser (others being Twentyfourseven and A Room For Romeo Brass), OUATITM is like a Nottingham Eastenders with laughs. Tough but likeable characters (so not that much like Eastenders after all) face tough situations and decisions; relationships are open, occasionally rough, but more often tender and funny. A veritable gallery of UK stars (Rhys Ifans, Kathy Burke, Ricky Tomlinson) appear, and Scots, Welsh, Scouse and Cockney fit as tightly together as the parts in a stolen jigsaw puzzle. Well worth 104 minutes of your time.
The film opens with two of the central couples of the tale exposing themselves to ridicule on TV's 'Face The Feltz' (yes, Vanessa does feature). Black sheep Jimmy (Robert Carlyle as a Begbie-esque Scots scally) spots his ex refusing the hand of her new bloke on the show, and after a quick bit of armed robbery to pay for the trip (watch out for a cameo from Vic and Bob!), he heads back down south to return to her life (and that of their 12-yr-old daughter - played feistily by newcomer Finn Atkins). A few punch-ups, near-misses and emotional crises later, and all is resolved in true spaghetti-style.
Another fable of Nottingham estate life from the pens of writer/director Shane Meadows and his childhood mate Paul Fraser (others being Twentyfourseven and A Room For Romeo Brass), OUATITM is like a Nottingham Eastenders with laughs. Tough but likeable characters (so not that much like Eastenders after all) face tough situations and decisions; relationships are open, occasionally rough, but more often tender and funny. A veritable gallery of UK stars (Rhys Ifans, Kathy Burke, Ricky Tomlinson) appear, and Scots, Welsh, Scouse and Cockney fit as tightly together as the parts in a stolen jigsaw puzzle. Well worth 104 minutes of your time.