Romantic comedy drama starring Sally Hawkins and David Thewlis. Since she was jilted at the altar, Jane has struggled with mental illness, leaving her in and out of institutions for years. Now in her 40s and recently released from hospital, she returns home to despair at the antics of her dysfunctional family. However, a chance meeting with an aspiring musician in a waiting room could offer hope.
In his second feature as writer/director after 2015's Just Jim, actor Craig Roberts (Submarine) takes an inventive approach to the story of a woman living with paranoid schizophrenia on a Welsh council estate. Sally Hawkins stars as Jane, whose youthful jilting at the altar precedes her battle with the condition in later life, a situation not improved by her flintily unsympathetic mum (Penelope Wilton) and sarky sponger of a sister (Billie Piper). At least Jane's other sister (Alice Lowe) and a liaison with an itinerant musician facing his own issues (David Thewlis) offer a few ups among the downs. The subject matter could be depressing, but Roberts deftly balances the comedy and drama, and is able to capture Jane's inner world with a subtly changing colour palette and a lush score. Meanwhile, Hawkins provides a masterclass in generating tears and laughter, occasionally in the space of a single scene.
| role | name |
|---|---|
| Jane | Sally Hawkins |
| Mike | David Thewlis |
| Vivian | Penelope Wilton |
| Alice | Alice Lowe |
| Nicola | Billie Piper |
| Dennis | Robert Pugh |
| Young Jane | Morfydd Clark |
| Johnny | Robert Aramayo |
| role | name |
|---|---|
| Director | Craig Roberts |
