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Waiting Room, The
Three south London couples try to make sense of their love lives in this romantic drama starring Ralf Little and Anne-Marie Duff
In writer-director Roger Goldby's deft drama about love and loneliness in London, single mum Anna (Duff) falls for Stephen (Little) but doesn't get his name or number. Meanwhile George (Graves) is obsessed with Anna, which is unfortunate seeing as he lives next door and is married to Anna's best friend, Jem (Telford). Goldby is brilliant at establishing character in a few wordless frames. In quick succession we're introduced to our modestly-sized ensemble cast. Anna is feisty but lonely and her brief affair with unemployed stay-at-home dad George is a thoroughly convincing mistake (he is played by the gorgeous Rupert Graves after all), while the go-getting Jem can't help but belittle her hubbie. This is a film full of telling detail. The sight of Ralf Little urinating, for example, is the low-key culmination to a lovely scene. We see him get up, naked, pad down the corridor scratching his balls and yawning. He wearily returns to flush the toilet, lower the seat and mop up any droplets that have found their way to the floor. Yes, this is a domesticated man - a sad creature to behold. Worse, his girlfriend is snuggled up in bed, fully clad in pyjamas. We know, instinctively, that this relationship is doomed. Set during autumn, The Waiting Room has a melancholic air, with flashes of fun and humour. Its central conceit has Stephen following one of his elderly charges (played by legend of stage and screen Frank Finlay) down to the train station where he meets Anna in the eponymous waiting room. Though the two of them just listen to the old man rattle on about love, the two youngsters share a moment. They don't swap numbers, or even names, but are both smitten from that moment on. The characters lives unfold and fall apart, making for quietly compelling viewing. Driven by a great cast and a solid script that leavens its whimsy and romance with down-to-earth realism, The Waiting Room is an antidote to all those sun-kissed Hollywood romantic comedies. It'll make you cry and, most importantly, have a good chat down the pub about loves past, present and, who knows, future. Verdict Unflashy and very British, this slice of suburban angst won't be for everyone. If you found My Best Friend's Wedding to be the height of romantic cinema, best skip this. But, if you want a good, thought-provoking wallow in the happy/sad soup of life, this is a tear-jerking gem. |
