The Short & Curlies

"The Short & Curlies" is a British 17-minute live action short film from 1988, so it will soon have its 30th anniversary. It is an early work by legendary filmmaker Mike Leigh and this was actually the first he got nominated for a BAFTA, even if he lost to the Swedish entry. Even more impressive as this was a television production. The cast includes David Thewlis (from Harry Potter) and Alison Steadman who are still pretty famous today too. The former plays a likable nerd who loves to joke around with his girlfriend all the time, while Steadman play's the young woman's mother a hairdresser who just can't shut up either. Herdaughter is the only somewhat normal one. But these characters are fun to watch and they are the ones who make this an entertaining little film. i recommend seeing it. Delivers nicely in terms of romance, family and comedy.

"The Short & Curlies" is a short made for British television. It has a plot that is rather slight but the projects works because the characters are very interesting and realistic, as writer/director Mike Leigh shows a definite knack for these quirky sorts of people you see in the film. The story involves a working class English couple--the tall, nerdy guy who only seems to communicate by telling jokes and his girlfriend who seems to put up with him. In addition, there's the hairdresser that talks and talks without saying anything as well as her sad daughter. As I said already, the strength of this film isn't the plot so much as the characters. They are strange but still believable and the film does a nice job of taking the viewers into these folks' world. Nothing brilliant but still very nice.

Wonderfully entertaining stuff. David Thewlis puts in a truly geeky performance that'd put any real-life nerd to shame. Alison Steadman's voice grates like a... well... cheese-grater... and again there's that bleakness we come to expect from Mike Leigh, but a sensitivity too, comedy of course and a depth of character not often achieved in short films.