Tales from a Hard City

Lively documentary about a handful of dreamers in Sheffield: a petty thief into dope, karaoke, awful mates and sponging off his mum; a boxer turned would-be actor hustling for sponsored advertising gigs; a single mum hoping to become a pop star; and a well-off nightclub owner with massive entrepreneurial ambitions. All are naive and fuelled by a need for a sense of self-importance (though none approaches the vacuity and arrogance of the self-appointed 'image consultant' working on the boxer). A saddening film, leavened by humour and flashes of hope.