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Once upon a Time in the Midlands (2002)
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Full of familiar Britpic faces and spaghetti western references, Shane Meadows's third feature opens with promise and panache. However, once petty crook Robert Carlyle arrives in Nottingham to prevent ex-wife Shirley Henderson from marrying garage boss Rhys Ifans, the Leone tone is replaced by a diluted brand of Ken Loach realism, in which quips and slapstick leaven the underlying atmosphere of aggression and despair. Consequently, the story loses momentum, minor characters are marginalised in favour of introspection and the dénouement winds up more a letdown than a showdown. Knowingly filmed and scored — and acted with aplomb — this is ultimately undone by its laudable ambition. DP
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Running time
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100min
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Country of origin
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UK
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Genre
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Drama
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Original language
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English
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Screenplay
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Paul Fraser, Shane Meadows
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Theatrical distributor
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Film Four
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UK cinema certificate
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15
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UK cinema release date
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September 2002
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UK video release date
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May 2003
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Film certification logos reproduced by kind permission of BBFC |
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