"Are you gonna paint it green Kermit?"
I am on a quest to see all of Tim Roth's films and so yesterday I watched Meantime by Mike Leigh on YouTube and it was beyond excellence, in fact at the moment it's my favourite film.
Meantime YouTube link
My reaction to most of it was lolz, I just couldn't help but laugh at the complete, albeit grim, reality of it all. From the arguments, to the harsh and verbally abusive expressions of love I have seen all of this in in the real world, in fact in my own family, especially from my mother. For instance the row in the film about who the council house belongs to, that is an argument I have had with my mother almost word for word many times. The crushing dispiritedness that comes about from not having any money. The whole part ownership of the washing machine as well....wah it was so reminiscent of my life that I had to laugh or cry.
Another thing that made me lol was the delicate comic chemistry between Phil Daniels and Tim Roth who play the main characters, brothers, Colin and Mark. Colin is so withdrawn that he appears retarded and Mark never misses an opportunity to abuse him for it. Being particularly fond of calling him Kermit Mark often salutes him by singing the Muppet theme song to him. The abuse is non stop but there is something between Roth's utter uselessness and his mostly silent sufferance that makes it so clear that Daniel's is trying to be some sort of a parent to him. That he loves him dearly and is just recreating the way his parents are towards him and I find something so totally hysterical about the fact that it all springs from love, at how misguided that is.
The acting is miraculous, helped by the believable script, which means that it seems less like performers you are watching but somehow real people. Like I said to me they are familiar people too, with their utterly confused and destructive displays of love and the desperate, possessive loyalty towards this undermining affection.
Colin is offered a job helping his posh aunt out with some painting and Mark sabotages it with Colin's eventual acceptance. From here it becomes this depressing situation whereby Mark justifies his treatment of Colin as though it's an act of honour. As though Colin shouldn't compromise himself by having anything to do with the middle classes, that he shouldn't take their aid. It's all just so sadly reflective of the lack of esteem Mark has. Of how impoverishment ensures a likewise mentality, that once you're born deprived and poor on a council estate the inclination is to do all you can to stay there.
The impossibility of escape is pressed forwards so often in the general unemployment that you become easily resigned, self fulfilling prophecy style.
This is again witnessed through the lot of the aunt, who whilst she has managed to escape seems to feel the utmost guilt for doing so and thus spends all her time trying to improve the lot of her sister's children and devastated by her failiure to do so.
I dunno at the end I just couldn't stop crying at the familiar hopelessness the inability to do good whatever you try... :(
OMG THIS SITE SAID IT WAS BASED ON TWO BROTHERS WHO ENTERED INTO A SUICIDE PACT....
Wow that makes the ending into something else entirely...although I am skeptical about whether this was an actual inspiration it's really not outside the realms of possibility...