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Meantime

Play trailer Poster for Meantime TV-MA 1983 1h 44m Comedy Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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90% Tomatometer 10 Reviews 78% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
Two brothers (Phil Daniels, Tim Roth) live on the dole in a small apartment with their unemployed parents in London's East End.
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Meantime

Critics Reviews

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Walter Goodman New York Times 04/09/2005
The first hour is given to aimless glimpses of aimless existences, and the second, in which Colin finds a sort of deliverance, is contrived in concept and awkward in execution. Go to Full Review
Sean Burns Crooked Marquee Jan 31
Nearly everything in the film is curdled and ugly. It’s one of the most vivid depictions of how people without purpose turn on each other. Go to Full Review
Brian Susbielles InSession Film 03/07/2023
It’s a slice-of-life of struggle in the family with commonplace events that fall in between. Go to Full Review
Matt Brunson Film Frenzy 10/11/2021
3/4
Playing a skinhead doesn't require much subtlety, but Gary Oldman nevertheless manages to go well over the top. Go to Full Review
David Harris Spectrum Culture 09/30/2019
Meantime may very well be the template for many of Leigh's most beloved, subsequent works. Go to Full Review
Nathanael Hood Audiences Everywhere 12/27/2018
B+
A crucial glimpse into the societal ennui felt by Britain's working class during the 1980s. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Mark R Jun 30 The movie indirectly shows an individual ( Colin ) displaying features of autism, displayed just a very shy young man. The performance of Tim Roth is very good. See more herbert b Jun 9 Unremitting gloom . Well acted but you eventually feel like giving all the characters a well deserved slapping. Commentory on the unmotivated irresponsible idle. See more pete r Dec 17 I thought it was great. All great actors, and it summed up suburban London in the early 80s very well, clever to show the parallels of relative wealth vs lower class tenement tower block existence. Gritty reality, but quite sensitive . One of my favourite movies. See more Kevin L 12/09/2024 It's not his earliest work, but this is still early Leigh in terms of when he started writing & directing with some regularity. There's most all the would-be trademarks and intentions of Leigh's work. The dialogue is very plain spoken and familiar to the actors. The standout acting is built upon characters that feel very lived in; and the ultimately sad and depressed state they fall into that mirrors much of Great Britain at the time. But it's just too endlessly dour and downbeat for me. Leigh would use comic relief more often and skillfully in later films. Here, it's largely left to the mindless skinhead figure Gary Oldman plays. It's an effective affectation, and has its humorous side, but even that gets sad and dark. My friend loved it, but I doubt he'd like later Leigh movies nearly as much. 3.3 stars See more Shioka O 11/19/2022 Story of becoming Skinheads. That's it. I didn't know Tim Roth and Phil Daniels worked as brothers! Great casting. See more 04/12/2022 Superb British humour, grim - understood by all those young adults that lived & struggled through the Thatcher years great cast from some fine actors Leigh at his best See more Read all reviews
Meantime

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Movie Info

Synopsis Two brothers (Phil Daniels, Tim Roth) live on the dole in a small apartment with their unemployed parents in London's East End.
Director
Mike Leigh
Producer
Graham Benson
Screenwriter
Mike Leigh
Production Co
Central Productions
Rating
TV-MA
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Original Language
British English
Release Date (Streaming)
May 22, 2017
Runtime
1h 44m
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