Film
What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases
Bookmark this pageCareer Girls (1997)
Director: Mike Leigh
Movie review
From Time Out Film Guide
Leigh reverts to type: good news for anyone who feared our harshest caricaturist might be losing his edge, not so good for those who felt Secrets & Lies represented a personal breakthrough in its emotional maturity, dramatic coherence and overriding compassion. Presumably, even its admirers would acknowledge that this is a less ambitious piece than its predecessor. The film mirrors Leigh's own development in two contrasting time frames. In the present, Hannah (Cartlidge) and Annie (Steadman) are composed, self-assured young women making their way in society. Ten years earlier, as student flatmates, they were a bundle of nervous tics, inflamed allergies and shrill neuroses. Leigh's eye for detail is precise, but the hysterical, mannered antics of the flashbacks are over-pitched and alienating. Cartlidge, particularly, seems to have angst in her pants. The present tense material comes as some relief, then, with its prevailing mood of calm introspection, the actresses delicately adumbrating the hesitant intimacy of old friends after a long separation. Yet Leigh is at a loss to develop this situation. They drop in on a sexist yuppie for a spot of tired, knee-jerk 'satire', encounter a smarmy estate agent who fails to recognise them with their clothes on, and finally they meet Ricky (Benton), a massive, stammering wreck of a man who may just represent the conscience of this thin, disappointing film.Author: TCh
Cast & crew
Director: Mike Leigh
Producer: Simon Channing-Williams
Cast: Katrin Cartlidge, Lynda Steadman, Mark Benton, Kate Byers, Andy Serkis, Joe Tucker, Margo Stanley, Michael Healy full cast
Duration: 87 mins
Most popular on this site
Top Stories
Hippies who work for The Man
To celebrate George Clooney comedy 'The Men who Stare at Goats', we look back at six memorable onscreen hippies who fought the system from within
Roland Emmerich's guide to disaster movies
Ahead of the release of '2012', Roland Emmerich offers his ten tips on creating the perfect global catastrophe
Grant Heslov: interview
Grant Heslov, director of 'The Men who Stare at Goats' talks about his old pal George Clooney, his interest in the paranormal, and his fond memories of working on 'Happy Days'
The Coen brothers discuss 'A Serious Man'
Masters of contrary comedy, Joel and Ethan Coen have struck gold again with their latest, ‘A Serious Man’
Ten inspirations behind 'Avatar'?
Time Out ponders the influences behind James Cameron's anticipated space-opera on the basis of the trailer
Michael Jackson's This Is It: review
Kenny Ortega's posthumous concert film is a rousing eulogy for one of pop's great enigmas
Michael Haneke: The man behind the menace
From Cannes to Munich to London, Dave Calhoun tours Michael Haneke's Palme d'Or winner, 'The White Ribbon'
Lone Scherfig talks 'An Education'
Danish director Lone Scherfig was an unlikely choice for a very English affair like 'An Education'. Cath Clarke meets her
How Jane Campion brought John Keats back to life
Time Out gets Romantic with the ‘difficult’ New Zealander about her new film, 'Bright Star'
Time Out's 50 greatest animated films with commentary by Terry Gilliam
In celebration of the release of Pixar's 'Up' and Wes Anderson's 'Fantastic Mr Fox', read our rundown of fifty classic feature length animations
What do you think?
Post your review now