Meantime

Of the films that Secrets and Lies director Mike Leigh "devised" for British television in the 1970s and '80s, Meantime holds special interest for its cast of now-renowned actors: Tim Roth, Gary Oldman and Alfred Molina. The setting is typically grim, London's depressed East End. Roth stars as Colin, a simple-minded young man who with his brother (Phil Daniels of Leigh's High Hopes) live with their unemployed father and bingo-playing mother. The mother's sister has married upward and dreads her sister's family's visits, though she tries to help the hapless Colin. In Leigh's films, misery loves company, and this company of ordinary characters are made extraordinary by the gifted ensemble acting. Highly recommended. (K. Lee Benson)[Blu-ray/DVD Review—Aug. 8, 2017—Criterion, 107 min., not rated, DVD: $29.95, Blu-ray: $39.95—Making its latest appearance on DVD and debut on Blu-ray, 1984's Meantime features a fine transfer and an uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray release. Extras include a new conversation between director Mike Leigh and musician Jarvis Cocker (35 min.), a 2007 interview with star Tim Roth (32 min.), a new conversation with costar Marian Bailey and critic Amy Raphael (29 min.), and an essay by film scholar Sean O'Sullivan. Bottom line: Leigh's classic film about downtrodden life in Thatcher's England makes a welcome debut on Blu-ray.]