The heroine of Mike Leigh's wonderfully subtle and relentlessly harrowing new film is a cheerful, compactly built middle-aged woman who spends her waking hours in perpetual motion.

| Nov 19, 2013

| Original Score: 4/5 | Apr 1, 2006

Puts a tender human face on this explosive subject.

| Original Score: B+ | May 4, 2005

| Original Score: 4/5 | Mar 7, 2005

[Leigh's] best picture in some time.

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Jan 24, 2005

Aside from the performances, which are uniformly excellent, the greatest strength of Mike Leigh's drama is its non-judgmental stance on abortion.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Jan 15, 2005

All the actors so completely fade away that you come out of the film thinking you've seen the real people, not players reciting a script.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Nov 4, 2004

Staunton is absolutely astonishing in the title role of this quiet, sad film about the dangers and consequences of what we could call the pre-choice era.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Nov 2, 2004

[The movie] can break your heart.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 | Nov 1, 2004

Staunton is brilliant as Vera.

Full Review | Original Score: B | Oct 29, 2004

Gripping and elegantly told.

| Original Score: 4/4 | Oct 29, 2004

Boo, hiss and all that -- but I can report that the film left me only vaguely depressed and nothing more.

| Oct 28, 2004

Staunton is heartbreakingly fine.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 | Oct 22, 2004

Leigh thinks his movie is a social commentary, but it's really an almost-brilliant character study, with an essential piece left out: the moment Vera is revealed to herself.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Oct 22, 2004

Vera is the heart of the film, and Staunton gives an exquisite performance.

| Original Score: 4/4 | Oct 22, 2004

Arguably Leigh's finest achievement, its sole flaw being the too-perfect depiction of Vera -- no fault of Staunton's, who must surely be considered for Oscar recognition.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Oct 22, 2004

The film is more of a portrait than a story, and as such it is finely wrought and compelling, but the airbrush is overkill.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Oct 22, 2004

One of Leigh's better movies.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/4 | Oct 22, 2004

Gripping film.

| Original Score: 3.5/4 | Oct 22, 2004

A film of pitch-perfect, seemingly effortless performances.

| Original Score: 4/4 | Oct 22, 2004