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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mel O&#039;Drama" data-source="post: 253421" data-attributes="member: 23">Pat and Margaret (continued) The new bond between the two paves the way for their inevitable confrontation with their mother, thanks to wily Stella’s note:Shirley Stelfox seems to have made a career out of playing hard-faced rough old tarts. I know her best as con-artist Madge on Brookside and Rose on Keeping Up Appearances. And of course there’s the sex worker in Personal Services. Her portrayal of Vera is in much the same mould. A prostitute who openly admits she wasn’t that good because she enjoyed the sex but didn’t care for the talking. Meeting her suddenly explains a lot about the dynamics we’ve seen so far - from the pain in Margaret’s eyes to Pat’s brutal treatment of others to keep her position. It’s a lightbulb moment for Pat as well, as she suggests Vera owes Margaret:Naturally, the situation is a setup. Vera has already been paid by Stella who gets her story. But by this time things are on a different footing. Pat says the son she gave away is a physiotherapist in Canada, and Margaret points out to Stella that Pat’s come from humble beginnings and made something of herself, so why not paint her in a sympathetic light. Margaret's almost childlike disbelief at Stella's duplicity is incredibly engaging, and it's believable that Vera would take some notice, in her own way .Vera is honest to the endIt’s a terrific line that says so much in an economical way. In a different world we could have watched the story from Vera’s perspective and learnt much about her, but the layers remain hidden, or at least unexplored fully. And the nuance is appreciated. Vera ends up jetting off with Pat in the name of giving Stella her happy ending. Margaret convinces Jim to stand up to his mother, leading to the hilarious revelation that Jim has had a sex life on her bed.Given Vera’s earlier derogatory remark about slopping gravy, it’s a lovely touch that the most romantic line in the film comes as Jim accepts Margaret’s offer for them to move in together:Pat and Margaret part as sisters and friends, with Pat buying The Swiss Cottage from the retiring Pete and handing the keys to Margaret. Ultimately, what started as an odd couple reunion is a film about coming home, finding your past, finding your truth and finding yourself. It’s right up there with the best of British comedy drama films.</blockquote>

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