Imelda Staunton gives an Oscar-nominated performance at once tightly controlled and strikingly intense in the title role of British director Mike Leigh's tale of a dowdy, caring housewife in postwar London who, unbeknownst to her family, provides free abortion services to girls in trouble. When one of her patients nearly dies as a result of her intervention, Drake's taken into custody and tried for her crime. As with Topsy-Turvy, Leigh's improvisational, collaborative scriptwriting process works wonders with a period piece: the emotionally pinched feel and drab look of England in the 1950s are beautifully rendered, and the entire cast is superb, even though Staunton can't help but stand out. There are weaknesses, however: Vera's goodness is portrayed in such broad strokes that she almost seems like a fairytale character, and her total obliviousness of the implications of her actions makes her seem morally obtuse. Moreover, a subplot dealing with a rich girl who secures a safe, medically sanctioned abortion, makes the point--in a too unsubtle fashion--that a double standard exists between the poor and the well-to-do. As a result Vera Drake doesn't match Leigh's finest films--Topsy-Turvy among them--but it's still superior to the best most other directors have to offer. Recommended. (F. Swietek)
Vera Drake
New Line, 125 min., R, DVD: $27.95, Mar. 29 Volume 20, Issue 2
Vera Drake
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