MEANTIME

 As the title of Mike Leigh's first film testified he had his bleak moments and "Meantime" was certainly one of them, He made it in 1983 for ITV and yes, it is funny in that very mordant, very sour Mike Leigh manner but it is so grim at times it's a difficult film to like or even fully appreciate. Set on a housing estate in London's East End it centres on one working-class family though neither the father, (Jeffrey Robert), nor either of his two sons, (Tim Roth and Phil Daniels), actually work and Leigh, at least initially, treats them with something bordering on middle-class contempt though by the end he seems to have mellowed into a kind of warped affection for them.

They are all portrayed as stereotypical yobs; one son appears to be mentally defective, the other corroded by cynicism with only the would-be middle-class aunt given any trace of humanism in Marion Bailey's superb performance. It's a deeply depressing film chock full of deeply depressing characters such as Gary Oldman's skinhead and lacks any of the basic warmth you might associate with Ken Loach. It's terrifically well-acted by everyone, (Oldman, Roth and Daniels are particularly brilliant), but it's also a very tough watch.