Film Review: Reviewed By Damon Wise; 5 out of 5

British actor Paddy Considine's directorial debut is not for the faint-hearted. Considine is known for a variety of roles (Dead Man's Shoes, Submarine), but this bleak but brilliant tale would rival Gary Oldman's Nil by Mouth for grimness. Peter Mullan plays Joseph, a lonely, unemployed drunk who one day staggers into the charity shop run by middle-class housewife Hannah (Olivia Colman). Hannah refuses to rise to Joseph's bitter, sardonic taunts, and over time he gains a begrudging respect for her. But what Joseph doesn't know is that this sweet, caring woman has demons of her own, and when Hannah's secrets spill out, even this world-weary hardcase is shocked. Mullan plays his unsympathetic character with power and magnetism, but it is Colman's terrific performance that sticks in the mind, a powerhouse portrayal of one of modern-day suburbia's many unseen, unheard victims.

Plot Summary

Drama starring Peter Mullan and Olivia Colman. After being beaten up by a gang, the angry, bitter Joseph takes refuge at the charity shop where Hannah works. They strike up a tentative rapport, but Hannah has problems of her own that could destroy their chance of friendship.