Synopsis
Dek, a decent but somewhat dull man, enjoys a happy existence with beloved girlfriend Shirley. They live together with her 12-year-old, Marlene: her daughter by the delinquent Jimmy, who flew the coop years ago and hasn't been heard from since. Dek loves Shirley so much that he proposes to her on national television.
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Cast
- Robert CarlyleJimmy
- Rhys IfansDek
- Shirley HendersonShirley
- Kathy BurkeCarol
- Ricky TomlinsonCharlie
- Finn AtkinsMarlene
- James CosmoBilly
- David McKayDougy
- Anthony StrachanJumbo
- Andrew ShimDonut
Recommendations
- 80
Variety
Marvelously involving family saga. - 70
The New York Times
What really separates "Midlands" from Leone's desiccated, terse genre work is Mr. Meadows's doting attention to his characters' decency. It gives a demonstrative bittersweetness to a likable but small story. - 67
Entertainment Weekly
There are instances when the filmmaker tries for Western iconography and settles for ''Full Monty'' ingratiation. - 63
New York Post
Just Brit filmmaker Shane Meadows having some fun with the conventions of the spaghetti western. - 60
Village Voice
There are pages missing from this fable: Meadows reports that his financiers asked him to cut one-quarter of his original script just before production began, and his fondness for long takes sits uneasily beside the apparent gaps in the narrative. - 58
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
It's an interesting experiment that doesn't quite work. - 50
Los Angeles Times
It's a compelling and ambitious idea, but one that misfires because of its underwhelming characters and slack storytelling. - 50
L.A. Weekly
A movie saved by great acting.
