This Oscar nominated film, from top British director Stephen Frears, was overlooked when it had a brief theatrical run at the Rialto cinemas earlier this year. Hopefully, it will find a better reception on DVD. It some respects it reminded me of ‘Real Women Have Curves’, with its focus on an immigrant class in a new country (in this case England), but this is no comedy, although it has a reality too it that reminds of the work of Ken Loach. Praise indeed. All the characters are running away from something, if not themselves, and part of the cleverness of the film is finding out all the various histories. Most reviews have given away the major plot points, and the film does take a while to get going, but once it is off you are really involved with the characters plight. Audrey Tautou left me cold in the over-rated ‘Amelie’, but she is much better as a ‘real’ character. She brings richness to the film that helps, as she is one of the major characters we are meant to empathize with. You may recognize Chiwetel Ejiofor as Keira Knightley’s husband in ‘Love, Actually’, but he is much better used here as a man who seems to be the only man in London with any kind of moral code. If any better film has been made to put people off spending their O.E.’s in England, I cannot think of it. Except perhaps for the films of Ken Loach. Well worth seeing. And the end will have you on the edge of your seat.