I love this film too. Mike Leigh has been making films for years now and rarely makes a bad one, but Meantime really hits a nerve with those of us who remember Britain in the early 1980s. Although Leigh's characters are often mildly eccentric or vulgar, somehow they ring very true here. The cast are all superb, especially Roth, Daniels and Oldman (who brings a surprisingly humorous edge to his character). There are no fancy sets or big budgets either, this was filmed on location and is a reminder how grim life in Thatchers Britain was for the working classes. Yet don't think this film is totally depressing, there is a surprising amount of black humour as well. And seeing how good pre-stardom Roth, Oldman and Alfred Molina were in the days before Hollywood got hold of them is also of great interest. In fact despite a strong performance, it seems odd that Phil Daniels career never really took off as well.
To me this is one of the top 5 Mike Leigh films (alongside Naked, Career Girls, Life is Sweet,and High Hopes). Of his made for tv (BBC) work I know some people also love 'Abigails Party' but 'Nuts in May' is my personal favourite and is well worth seeking out too.
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BethH24
16 years ago
It's interesting to see tim roth and gary oldman in early screen roles,and i like how this film shows what Britain is really like.Infact ,it's the same now as it was then,in regards to many being unemployed,and the family life ,e.t.c.
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Lilbitdramatic23
15 years ago
This film is so wonderful. It's a shame that it hasn't had a good DVD release in America. I think Leigh would be a prime candidate for the Criterion Eclipse series, where they could release high-quality discs of small films like this.
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