Once Upon a Time in the Midlands *** (2002, Robert Carlyle, Rhys Ifans, Kathy Burke, Shirley Henderson, Ricky Tomlinson ) – Classic Movie Review 482

Robert Carlyle stars in Once Upon a Time in the Midlands (2002) as Jimmy, a Glasgow-based small-time crook who heads back for his Nottingham home town to try to win back his ex-girlfriend Shirley (Shirley Henderson) after seeing her humiliate her live-in boyfriend Dek (Rhys Ifans) on national television by turning down his marriage proposal.

A whole bunch of his old family and friends have all been on the show, including his older foster sister Carol (Kathy Burke), her boyfriend and Jimmy’s old buddy Charlie (Ricky Tomlinson) and Jimmy’s pre-teen daughter Marlene (Finn Atkins), none of whom he has seen for years.

Jimmy and Dek fight it out for Shirley and Marlene’s affections, while there is more trouble afoot when Jimmy’s crook friends from Glasgow come looking for him.

Supposedly spaghetti Western-inspired (Once Upon a Time in the West), it is an excellent setup, but there is a distinct lack of charm in this abrasive, foul-mouthed, wayward 2002 comedy drama movie from co-writer-director Shane Meadows. But it does have its funny and clever moments, as well as a lot of oddball appeal. And the screenplay by writers Meadows and Paul Fraser certainly has the courage of its weird convictions. It finds laughs and poetry in the grungy slacker society it accesses.

Carlyle and Henderson are strong stalwarts at the centre, and it is beefed up with extravagant performances by some very good Brit actors, even if some of them respond by tending to over-play their stereotypical characters. Above all it has a lot of visual style, and Brian Tufano’s cinematography certainly makes it look impressive.

Writers Meadows and Paul Fraser enjoy cameos as the bingo caller and checker. Kelly Thresher, Andrew Shim, Ryan Bruce, TV personality Vanessa Feltz and comics Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer are in the eclectic cast.

Once Upon a Time in the Midlands concludes Meadows’s Nottingham film trilogy after Twenty Four Seven and A Room for Romeo Brass. Meadows was born in Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, on 26 December 1972.

Once Upon a Time in the Midlands is directed by Shane Meadows, runs 104 minutes, is made by Big Arty, Film Four, Film Council, Slate, and Senator, is released by Channel Four and Sony, is written by Shane Meadows and Paul Fraser, is shot by Brian Tufano, is produced by Andrea Calderwood, is scored by John Lunn, and is designed by Crispian Sallis.

© Derek Winnert 2013 Classic Movie Review 482 derekwinnert.com