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Once Upon a Time in the Midlands

Once Upon a Time in the Midlands

Romance · Comedy · Drama · 2002

Though Dek leads a simple and happy life with his girlfriend Shirley and her 12-year-old daughter Marlene, his grand, televised marriage proposal puts his devotion to the test—especially as Marlene's long-absent biological father, Jimmy, looms in the background.

Movie details

Once Upon a Time in the Midlands

2002 Romance · Comedy · Drama 1h 44m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.1 / 10

Community rating

Though Dek leads a simple and happy life with his girlfriend Shirley and her 12-year-old daughter Marlene, his grand, televised marriage proposal puts his devotion to the test—especially as Marlene's long-absent biological father, Jimmy, looms in the background.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Once Upon a Time in the Midlands?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Shane Meadows

Written by

Paul Fraser · Shane Meadows

Robert Carlyle

Robert Carlyle

Jimmy

Rhys Ifans

Rhys Ifans

Dek

Shirley Henderson

Shirley Henderson

Shirley

Kathy Burke

Kathy Burke

Carol

Ricky Tomlinson

Ricky Tomlinson

Charlie

Finn Atkins

Finn Atkins

Marlene

James Cosmo

James Cosmo

Billy

Court is in session

Put Once Upon a Time in the Midlands on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Sentimental Softie

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Cool Ironist

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.