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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mel O&#039;Drama" data-source="post: 415572" data-attributes="member: 23">Yesterdays matinée was: Ethel & Ernest (2016) <img src="https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fabtc.ng%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F08%2FEthel-Ernest-724x1024.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=893b85380974fbf8261da96a1969501c249738f6a5cac1620b337532dcf80e60&ipo=images" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="width: 584px" /> I was unaware this film existed until shortly before watching. Off the back of the four Raymond Briggs shorts I watched the day before yesterday I'd did a little searching to see if there were any other films of his material. This one stood out firstly for being the only feature-length film, secondly for being based on a graphic novel rather than a book, and finally for being biographical (well, autobiographical really, since we learn a lot about Raymond himself and he is a character in it). As Briggs himself explains in his introduction to the film: This is exactly why the film is so wonderful. It's simple and it's very human. You could call it kitchen sink drama, or soap opera, but it only has these elements because such is life. Ethel and Ernest met in 1928 in a sequence that reminded me of Upstairs,  Downstairs (Ethel was a lady's maid), before living through the Second World War in observational scenes which made me think of Victoria Wood's portrayal of Nella Last in Housewife, 49. There's a great sequence of a doodlebug attack on the very allotments where Ernest and Raymond are spending father/son time, and what really grabbed me was the silence as the doodlebug glided immediately overhead before hitting the ground. This was used to good effect in another scene shortly afterwards, where just hearing the sound cut out, we knew another was about to land. We see Raymond evacuated to Dorset. His parents' horrified reactions to him dropping out of grammar school to become an art student. Then comes his National Service. And his wife... The film perfectly captures the changing eras. The wartime announcements. Television. The Telephone. Motor cars. The freer Sixties. Along with that comes ageing with its ailments and the realisation that life is short. There's something very factual about the film that means there's never any question of indulgence on the part of the author. He is simply telling a truthful story. That lack of manipulation is exactly why it carries such power. I came away realising that Raymond himself had quite a tragic life in many ways (and some of this only became really clear after reading up  on his life, and particularly his first marriage). Ultimately, its humanity is what makes this film very touching. It helps that it looks beautiful, is nicely performed (Brenda Blethyn and Jim Broadbent are always reliable and note-perfect) and has a very nice score. It would take a very hard heart not to be moved by the story of this ordinary couple simply living a life and doing the best they can. It's up there with the best of the films I've watched this year.</blockquote>

Verification: What month follows July?