simon-1303

This could have been many things - an explanation of garment making, an analysis of industrial relations, a review of global garment making economics, an exploration of working class relationships, a description of Indian state governance.

There is a bit of all of this in the film, but it is above all observational - the beauty of the textile designs, the dirt, mess and lack of health and safety of the factory, various industrial processes, brief interviews with various parties who generally say what one would expect. There is no commentary. It is thus impressionistic rather than fully explanatory. For a fuller analysis of a similar situation, read The Condition of the Working Class in England by Friedrich Engels.

A period in the life of a small boy in a remote village in the 1940s. His family, neighbours, employer, strangers, fears, hopes, goblins, cows... A limited cast and scope, as is appropriate for the life of a small boy in a small village. We see life both from the boy's point of view and also from that of the adults who dominate and influence his life, for good and ill. There's some historical context, as well as the timeless life of the countryside and human emotions and motivations. The lead actor is wonderfully convincing and is supported by a competent cast. There's a good use of country and town backgrounds. The plot works but it's the human interactions which stay with one. Entirely charming and with some real drama.

Seamy or at least black and white expose of 1950's London's sex trade in all its guises. Using actors and clearly of the period, this reveals and condemns all the tricks of the trade, from call girls to clip joints and high massage parlours to low class walk ups. It's hard to know which are less appealing: the deluded and self-deluded and desperate punters or the calculating and equally desperate working girls. The film condemns them equally, while revealing in details the titillation and barely legal disrobing designed to arouse man's baser desires. With a voice-over straight from the Department of Public Morals, and fascinating glimpses of a period long ago, this has something for everyone. Huge potential for unintentional humour and entirely convincing as to the facts of the case.