REAL

The opening of this lean and relatable urban romance begins when barrister Kyle (Aki Omoshaybi) gallantly rescues a woman he doesn't know, Jamie (Pippa Bennett-Warner), after her card plays up in a newsagent's shop. In a Hollywood movie, this would be the "meet-cute" moment, from which love would bloom. However, Kyle's actually jobless and lodging with his disapproving mother (Karen Bryson), while single-mum Jamie's fridge is bare, and she and her son rely on the largesse of a kindly café for free chips. A film about life at the sharp end - shot in Portsmouth, identified only by seagulls - this is Omoshaybi's show as debut director and screenwriter (from a story co-written with Paulette Mbassa), and it helps that he sparkles as an actor. Keeping the plates spinning without indulging in Loach-esque misery, he is definitely a talent to watch.