Vera Drake (DVD 2005)

Plot
Islington, 1950. Charlady Vera (Staunton) bustles about keeping her family together and cheerfully helping others. She also performs discreet abortions for girls 'in trouble'. Eventually, this charitable sideline comes to the attention of the law and a prosecution threatens to break up the family.

The sttrow Review
Like Topsy-Turvy, this initially appears to be a break from the 'Mike Leigh style', being another period piece. Yet it's one that recreates the living memory of 1950, homing in on characters who could be the grandparents of the people in the director's other films. Vera (Staunton) offers a smile, kind words and endless soothing cups of tea as she provides support and motivation for friends and relations who might otherwise slide into feckless apathy.

Besides caring for her ancient mother and almost invisibly tidying wealthy homes, Vera matter-of-factly performs abortions most Friday afternoons at five (and, incidentally, demonstrates just how to perform a DIY termination). Disaster is inevitable and, when a client suffers complications, the police are called in. Vera's arrested, then retreats into a shell of shame as she's eased through the prosecution, trial and sentencing by not-unsympathetic authorities. It never overstresses subplots that put Vera's crimes in context, like the timid, date-raped upper-class girl (Sally Hawkins) going through a far more hypocritical system to procure an abortion (involving a hefty fee and a discreet stay in a private clinic) or the son's (Daniel Mays) sideline in nylons used to get girls into bed and probably supply Vera with more customers.

Though less comic than most Leigh films, there's an echo of that old wireless standby The Glums in the agonising courtship of Vera's lumpy daughter Ethel (Alex Kelly) by terminally shy, scarf-wrapped Reg (Eddie Marsan), with pauses as pregnant as the parade of desperate cameo girls. Also in the Leigh tradition is Vera's sister-in-law (Heather Craney), one of his terrifyingly aspirational women, ruthlessly intent on scrubbing the proletarian taint from her family (and accent) and squandering her husband's earnings on new-fangled luxuries like a television set and a washing machine.

It catches exactly the drab, rationed, overly genteel-at-all-levels-of-society tone of the period (kudos to the location finder, set decorator and prop people). And the last act is almost unbearably affecting, with Staunton - like so many Leigh performers before her - going beyond the comic mannerisms to show naked pain.

Verdict
An illustrated essay on life before legalised abortion, dotted with fiercely human moments. Painful for many reasons, but highly recommended.

Another Mike Leigh film which doesnt disappoint, Imelda Staunton is brilliant at portraying a loving but naive mother who think shes 'helping' the unfortunate women who get pregnant. I love the way Mike Leigh has a loyalty to certain actors and actresses, who are truely brilliant. And surely everyone loves a brilliant gritty British drama.

I put off seeing this film at the cinema and waited until it came out on DVD! I thought it would be more interesting and moving but instead i found it slow and boring! Ok to sit and watch on a lazy day off but i wouldnt waste a friday night on this! Plus it was on TV about a week after i brought it(bad timing or what)!

I saw this Dvd a few years ago and enjoyed it, so when I saw it for £2.50 buy it now-I couldn't resist it.

This is a very British film about a good hearted woman in 1950s London. I grew up in London in the 50s, how this film took me back! The atmosphere, fashions, streetlife and family life were brilliantly re-created.

Vera Drake is a woman who will help anybody, her family, her neighbours, the sick, even women with unwanted pregnancies. The police find out and her world caves in. Imelda Staunton as Vera Drake was immense, (she deserved an Oscar), but because the film is so British, it had limited international appeal.

This film is not for people who expect a barrel of laughs or exciting action scenes. The film can be a little depressing, but that doesn't detract from a fine piece of story-telling from a bygone age. Recommended.

vera drake is not a movie for me, i bought it for my wife, because the first one i bought for her went missing. it is one of her favorites, so i had to buy a new one,and the best place i thought of was ebay. that is the reason for buying it.

I am a big mike leigh fan , Though Vera drake was heartwarming film it was very harsh and depressing

I thought it was a very true, down to earth example of how life was in the 1950's. Excellent film one you would certainly watch again. Interesting for the men but more a womens film.

a great film with a sad ending i recomend to anyone who likes a good story about families and the going ons that knowbody knows about not even those closest to you just a good women providing a good service ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

In 1950, in London, Vera Drake (Imelda Staunton) is a simple woman of a low-class but happy family. She works cleaning the upper-class houses; her beloved husband is a mechanic and works with his brother in a repair shop; her son is a tailor; and her daughter tests and packs electric lamps. The helpful Vera is a very good and cooperative woman, helping her sick mother, a handicapped neighbor and whoever needs her. She also induces the miscarriage to women that do not want to have baby just to help them and without any remuneration. When a woman who's husband is serving oversee and has fallen pregnant as the result of an affair has some complication with her intervention and goes to the hospital, the police investigates the occurrence, and the world and the family of Vera fall apart with this tragedy.

I rarely manage to get to the cinema for various reasons and had wanted to see this film as the subject interests me and the reviews were excellent as were my daughters comments about the film being able to buy it at such a reasonable price on ebay was great for me as I'm a pensioner

i bought this dvd as a present for my wife as she had read the book and realy enjoyed the story .which is about vera drake a kind lady in the 50s she helped young girls who got pregnant but could not afford to pay for doctors fees .she done everthing free of charge but she ends up on the wrong side of the law for what she thought was helping these poor girls even though she never charged for her services

I enjoyed this film. Brings it home to you how people lived and how they had to deal with things in those days. I felt sorry for Vera she was only trying to help! Good English film.