This film written by Victoria Wood and starring Wood and pal, Julie Walters, is about two sisters long separated who come together after many years. Walters plays a snobbish temperamental actress and Wood plays a frumpy fish and chips worker. It's definitely not overplotted as the narrative meanders between the two characters and their friends and coworkers. Ultimately, Pat and Margaret go searching for the mother that both neglected and abandoned them (for reasons I won't go into here). Pat and Margaret predictably bond but their gradual reconciliation, while heart warming, is decidedly unsentimental. But the prize of this movie is the writing. Pop in at any point in the film and you'll be delighted with how unique Wood's writing style is: it's funny, articulate and very niche. If you're not British and haven't been exposed to Wood's humor before, you'll probably be a little lost. Wood, sadly gone now, had a deserved reputation for sharing the spotlight with her fellow actors and you see this tendency in the film. Interestingly, this leads to my only criticism: Wood is so generous that we end up spending almost too much time away from the two main actresses and more time than necessary with side characters. But it's an excellent film that I wish more could see.
Review of Pat and Margaret
