Vera Drake (B or 3/4 stars)
'Vera Drake' is a drama written & directed by Mike Leigh. Vera (Imelda Staunton) is a dowdy, London suburbanite housewife & mom. What else? She also happens to 'help out young girls' who are unable to get legal abortions. This film acts as a window into her small, intimate life. She's an ordinary woman who honestly feels that she's doing something for the good of womankind. So when she gets in some trouble with the police, her pain & suffering is heartbreaking to witness. More of a character-study, than a film about 'abortion', itself, 'Vera Drake' thrives, mainly because of Staunton's compassionate performance.
In 1950, abortion was a hot-topic; one that was illegal & frowned upon then as much as it is now. Still, Vera, a selfless woman if there ever was one, devoted her abilities to her lowly family & friends. Bustling around town, cleaning upper-class homes, she'd also frequent women of all ages to induce their 'miscarriages'. She would perform these acts as normally as if she were dusting a coffee table. 'Sit back dear, panties off, lie down. You'll feel some pain, all right, now, for a spot of tea, no?' And that would be the matter-of-fact, congenial way she'd handle each case (quite annoying if you really think about it, but I digress). One day, however, a teen girl becomes gravely ill after one of Vera's procedures, & the police step-in to investigate the reason and source for this girl's drastic illness.
The look of sheer horror on Vera's face as she realizes why she's being taken into custody is gutting. She knows it's illegal. And she knows that she may have had a hand in mortally injuring a girl & destroying her own family, in the process; there's tragedy everywhere you look. From this point on til the end of the film, the acting and directing takes a macabre turn for the worse (in a good way, I think). The raw power of Imelda Staunton's posturing, distress & hopelessness of her situation is painful & wears you down as you watch. Once sweet and bubbly, Staunton morphs Vera into a blubbering mess. It's a very effective transition.
The issue at hand is rather polarizing, but the movie isn't about abortion. The screenplay uses abortion as a vehicle to drive home the subject of the movie ... Vera Drake, the person. The cinematography, musical score & mood is dark, and purposefully miserable. Leave it to the Brits to handle a heavy topic like this, make this type of film, cast it appropriately, & capture these kinds of moods that resonate, even a day after you watch them. One complaint, while the abortion scenes are eye-popping & unbelievably astounding to watch, not much actually occurs 'during' the film. She bustles, makes tea, performs abortions, & then the police come. It's a small story, told on a small scale, and a very impressive 'actors' film to behold.
In 1950, abortion was a hot-topic; one that was illegal & frowned upon then as much as it is now. Still, Vera, a selfless woman if there ever was one, devoted her abilities to her lowly family & friends. Bustling around town, cleaning upper-class homes, she'd also frequent women of all ages to induce their 'miscarriages'. She would perform these acts as normally as if she were dusting a coffee table. 'Sit back dear, panties off, lie down. You'll feel some pain, all right, now, for a spot of tea, no?' And that would be the matter-of-fact, congenial way she'd handle each case (quite annoying if you really think about it, but I digress). One day, however, a teen girl becomes gravely ill after one of Vera's procedures, & the police step-in to investigate the reason and source for this girl's drastic illness.
The look of sheer horror on Vera's face as she realizes why she's being taken into custody is gutting. She knows it's illegal. And she knows that she may have had a hand in mortally injuring a girl & destroying her own family, in the process; there's tragedy everywhere you look. From this point on til the end of the film, the acting and directing takes a macabre turn for the worse (in a good way, I think). The raw power of Imelda Staunton's posturing, distress & hopelessness of her situation is painful & wears you down as you watch. Once sweet and bubbly, Staunton morphs Vera into a blubbering mess. It's a very effective transition.
The issue at hand is rather polarizing, but the movie isn't about abortion. The screenplay uses abortion as a vehicle to drive home the subject of the movie ... Vera Drake, the person. The cinematography, musical score & mood is dark, and purposefully miserable. Leave it to the Brits to handle a heavy topic like this, make this type of film, cast it appropriately, & capture these kinds of moods that resonate, even a day after you watch them. One complaint, while the abortion scenes are eye-popping & unbelievably astounding to watch, not much actually occurs 'during' the film. She bustles, makes tea, performs abortions, & then the police come. It's a small story, told on a small scale, and a very impressive 'actors' film to behold.