Best of British: The Waiting Room

The Waiting Room (2007)
Image courtesty of Amazon.co.uk

For the first of our reviews on British made movies, my girlfriend Sarah and I sat down and chose to watch 'one for the couples', and we both found love in 'The Waiting Room', the cinematic debut by television director Roger Goldby about the chance meeting of two people and the impact it has on their lives. Call me soft, but I thought the film was absolutely wonderful, at heart I'm a romantic, so a tale of love at first sight done well will do more than enough to keep my attention. The film follows the lives of Stephen and Anna and gives us an intimate look at what goes on behind closed doors. Anna is a single mother having having an affair with her next door neighbour's husband, he's infatuated with her but she is ultimately lonely in life. Stephen lives with his girlfriend and works at a care home for the elderly, everything seems sweet between them until his girlfriend suggests the idea of having children and with his uncertainty about the idea comes the cracks in their relationship. Then one otherwise normal day, Stephen and Anna are brought together in the waiting room of a train station and instantly make a powerful connection, from this moment onwards we are shown how this meeting effects their lives and the people involved with them. Still interested? I definitely was.

At approximately 101 minutes long, the film was an absolute treat to watch and didn't outstay it's welcome, although I couldn't shake the vibe it felt a little more like I was watching a TV series as opposed to film, but this wasn't a big problem and it shouldn't be for anyone else watching it either. Ralf Little (The Royle Family, 24 Hour Party People) plays the role of Stephen, the troubled  but loveable nice-guy, something which he does very well. There are some very touching scenes involving him and his care-patients, some of which, thanks to some beautifully 'real' writing, tugged at my heartstrings and admittedly I did shed a tear on a few occasions. For me though, the show was stolen by Anne-Marie Duff (Shameless, Nowhere Boy) in the role of Anna. She, in my opinion is an incredibly underrated British actress who I am yet to tire of watching. She's beautiful on screen, and always gives an incredibly natural and emotional performance. Her and Ralf form an excellent pairing, really aiding the film's sense of reality and even moreso, giving the viewer hope that the fabled 'love at first sight' really can happen in a world where life doesn't seem to deal you the best of hands all of the time.

Ralf Little and Anne-Marie Duff cross paths in 'The Waiting Room'
Image courtesy of Guardian.co.uk

The film has an incredibly warm feel to it, set under the bright skies and cool temperatures of the English Autumn, the colors on show are vivid and very comforting. When combined with stylish shots and a truly beautiful overlaying score written by Edmund Butt, the film's atmosphere is completely enveloping. With the right balance between subtle humour, heartwarming dialogue and thoroughly touching moments it's a must see for anybody who isn't afraid of love and it's many complexities. Plus it is proof that you don't have to turn to big budget hollywood hits filled with impossible gestures for romance, this is just as real if not moreso than some of the big RomCom names out there. Us Brits do romance very well, and this movie is all you'd need to convince anyone of that.

The Verdict

I'm giving 'The Waiting Room' a 6/10. It was a thoroughly pleasurable experience to watch, well written dialogue and fantastic acting all round, although more interaction between Little and Duff would've been much appreciated and that 'TV Show' vibe did niggle at me. The soundtrack is perfect for the film, and the setting is just right too, creating a really authentic 'feel-good' atmosphere. Definitely a must-see for any of you old romantics out there. So if you're interested in this delightful story of love, loss and everything in between then take my advice; Take a night off, buy a bottle of wine and a copy of 'The Waiting Room', then settle down on the sofa with your other half and simply enjoy this superb film, it has a much more general appeal to both genders unlike some of the key players in romance, so men needn't be afraid of watching this either. It's a perfect couple's retreat for the evening.