TWENTY THOUSAND STREETS UNDER THE SKY (2005) (import)

Bittersweet is the word that sums this lovely film up in one!
Unrequited love, hope and broken dreams all around for the three young characters in this wonderful film set in London between the two wars.
The waiter, the barmaid and the prostitute all tell their side of a very cleverly entwined story.
Sad and beautiful-heartbreaking and sweet, romantic yet so disturbing.
A film about life and how brittle circumstances can be as to wich direction a young life can take!
A must see-fantastic acting and the set is great too!

You have to have a heart of flint not to be in some way touched by this remarkable portrait of the sadness of very ordinary lives. Shot through with poignant 1930s popular song (but not intrusively so) and filmed in muted colours that add to the melancholy atmosphere; this is indeed faithful to Patrick's Hamilton trilogy. The dialogue is vividly naturalistic and is supported by a wealth of subtle, insightful performances including Phil Davis' Mr. Eccles, whose thwarted courtship of Ella is itself a performance of searing loneliness, and Zoe Tapper as the feckless, easily led Jenny in drink fuelled free fall. Special mention must, however, be given to Sally Hawkins as Ella, enduring the agonies of living in close proximity to the subject of her unrequited love. Her remarkably expressive face captures psychological depth and turmoil to an extraordinary degree and the omission of this performance from the Baftas show that they have ceased to be anything more than marketing events.
This is a heartbreaking story but there is also a warmth and wonderful humour (as well as a sharp ear for ordinary dialogue)that makes this considerably more than a period piece. Quite wonderful - I would also recommend the book .

Two Thousand Streets under the Sky tells the story of three young people, who's lives collide in the Midnight Bell pub. Ella and Bob live and work there, Jenny occassionally drinks there. It is a sad tale indeed. Bob is an aspiring author, working as a waiter in the pub. He falls for Jenny, a prostitute with a fondness for drink, on sight, and expends all his savings on a relentless and fruitless attempt to rescue her from her existence. Ella is in love with Bob, but he either doesn't, or doesn't want to, notice. The story of each of the three main protagonists is told from each perspective; the first focusses on Bob's pursuit of Jenny. The second tells how, in the degradation of one fateful night, Jenny went from being a seemingly hardworking, decent girl, albeit in a lowly job, to life as a lush, a thief and a prostitute. The trilogy ends with Ella's story. I found this the most affecting of the three tales. Ella is a modest, unassuming girl who works as a barmaid at the Midnight Bell. Her quiet longing for Bob is painful to watch. She is, in turn, pursued by the wealthy, and much older, Ernest Eccles, who is a regular in the bar. Phil Davis gives a great performance in this role. Mr Eccles is vain, a bore and plain cringeworthy. Nevertheless, Phil Davis is so accomplished in the role that you do feel the odd stab of sympathy for this lonely man. Sally Hawkins as Ella, puts in a particularly moving performance as she attempts to avoid an engagement to Mr Eccles and tries to retain her dignity in a life which seems to consist of a series of chronic disappointments. The acting from all three main characters is impeccable.

These stories are set in a highly evocative context which conjures up the thirties beautifully, drab rooms, pubs and clothes capturing the daily grind of life for ordinary people just trying to get by. The only relief being the odd trip to the pictures or a Lyons tea room and the largely vain hope of something better.

This is a drama of outstanding quality. However, if you are a fan of happy ending, Downton Abbey type period dramas, this may not be for you. It is a real life, rather than, feel good drama.