The film
1986: Oliver Tate is a teenager in Swansea living with his deeply unhappy parents. His father’s depressed and his mother’s chasing – and being chased by – the odious neighbour, Graham. School’s nasty and brutish, dominated by bullies and with ineffectual teachers. Rather unexpectedly, Oliver is picked up by the girl he adores and doesn’t expect to be noticed by – Jordana. In an angst-ridden plot shaped by dark humour, boy meets girl, loses girl, and gets her back again. Probably.
The response
We enjoyed this film’s slightly unreal realism: the horrible school scenes, the 1980s fashions, the pain of the teenager trying to get it right, missing the mark, trying again. The submerged emotions and currents. And, not knowing whether Oliver and Jordana get back together or not; whether they will eventually escape Swansea or not; and whether his parents will really cope in the future.
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