(1972)
2
Josh Ralske
Mike Leigh's assured first feature, Bleak Moments, already demonstrates his skill with actors, and his unique ability to create complex characters whose behavior confounds audience expectations. Throughout Leigh's career, he has avoided cliché and eschewed pat resolutions in favor of a more realistic approach that demands the active engagement of the viewer. There are several awkward social interactions in Bleak Moments, and doubtless some viewers will find these scenes -- with their long uncomfortable silences, and underlying desperation -- unpleasant to sit through. But it's undeniable that in this film, as in most of his work, Leigh captures truths about human behavior. The action in Bleak Moments appears simple on its surface, but there's a richness to this work that withstands repeated viewings. Leigh is greatly aided by his cast, particularly by the restrained fierceness of Anne Raitt's performance as Sylvia. Sylvia is clearly unhappy, but her rueful wit (as when she offhandedly says during one awkward encounter with a potential suitor, "It's just like Romeo and Juliet all over again.") infuses much of the film with an unexpectedly enjoyable edge. Despite the title, there's a good deal of humor in the film, particularly in one extended scene featuring an irascible waiter in a Chinese restaurant. Socially isolated and driven to drink by her sister's disability, desperate for other companionship, Sylvia still finds it impossible to engage with the world on any but her own terms. Her need and her self-awareness make her a uniquely sympathetic protagonist in Leigh's oeuvre.
Bleak Moments on AllMovie
Bleak Moments (1972)
