I've Loved You So Long (December 2011)

Chosen by Lucy and Tony

In a break from tradition, we made the most of the Christmas holidays to watch this film together.

The film
Kristin Scott Thomas plays Juliette, a forty-something woman who comes to live with her younger sister Léa, (Elsa Zylberstein). Juliette is grey, gawky, withdrawn - in contrast with Léa's vibrant life (especially her brilliantly-played older daughter). Gradually, subtly, we find out why the two have been parted for so long.

The response
The verdict: 'gripping'. True, not everyone was wholly convinced by the story-line, wondering whether Juliette's family really would have been oblivious to the situation she was in. And some of us spent the film waiting for a terrible denouement. But overall we found ourselves drawn into this carefully-crafted (and beautifully-filmed) depiction of pain, love, death and life.

This was another film that prompted questions. How well do we know the people we are closest to? What characterises sibling relationships? What is a 'criminal' act? How can people carry on living after experiencing terrible things? Perhaps it's enough to notice beautiful and meaningful things - as the sisters, together, recognised beauty and hope in a rain-covered windowpane.

Happy Go Lucky (November 2011)

Chosen by Juliet & Andi

The film
Mike Leigh had to make an appearance in our film club before too long. We could have chosen any of his films, only ending up with this one because it had been sitting in J&A's (tiny) DVD stash. Poppy (Sally Hawkins) is a 30-year-old Londoner with a relentlessly positive approach to life. An increasingly tense relationship with her driving instructor weaves through the film - between flamenco lessons, helping a troubled pupil and visiting her pregnant sister.

The response
The film, released in 2008, won acclaim from the professional critics (and many awards); but got a less positive response from our film club members. A minority thought Poppy likeable and sympathetic; most found her profoundly irritating. They criticised her for misleading Scott the driving instructor, saying she flirted unnecessarily with a vulnerable guy (by contrast, her sympathisers thought he was creepy and deserved her dressing-down). In particular, most of us despaired at the shallow conversation - nobody in the film really engaged with each other.

Maybe Mike Leigh's improvisational style made it difficult for the characters to become real and engage deeply with each other? Certainly, some of us thought so, although others enjoyed the 'kitchen-sink realism'. In any case, this was a film that kept us arguing happily all evening.