AutCuddly
Great movie! If you want to be entertained and have a few good laughs, see this movie. The music is also very good,
PiraBit
if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.
Numerootno
A story that's too fascinating to pass by...
Gary
The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.
bbewnylorac
Not many cinemas will screen this independent little British drama. But it's a well made, heartfelt period piece that rewards your patience and attention. It's about a woman in the 1970s in working class Yorkshire who is determined to become a comedian, despite huge barricades she must overcome. Such as poverty, an abusive father, sexism, an abusive husband, and her own fear of failure. Somehow she knows that a better life is out there, and she manages to hang on to that dream, against the odds. In the lead role, Maxine Peake is great, as someone who won't take no for an answer, and is courageous in leaving relationships that aren't working.
She is good at rising above people who treat her badly - e.g. when she visits her adult brother, and he and his wife are hostile to Funny Cow because the wife, for some unknown reason, dislikes Funny Cow. We see the spark of perseverance she had as a child, and she never loses that. The script, by Tony Pitts, is rich and taut. The pacing is good. Sometimes the accents are very thick but you do get used to them in the end. Alun Armstrong (New Tricks) is a joy to watch as Lenny - the crusty old vaudeville style comedian who Funny Cow latches on to as her mentor, even though, at first, he tells her that women can't be comedians. Paddy Considine has a meaty role as Funny Cow's intellectual boyfriend, who is kind and loving, but who she doesn't love. The film is a stylist's and costume designer's dream. Don't see this film if you're against smoking - all the characters drink like fish, and they smoke so much I almost started coughing. It's authentic to the period, though.
maureenbuchan
Somber ,but a good study of a woman who managed via her wry view to achieve success in a man comedic world ... Though the darkness we saw a flower bloom .
Her jokes were off but this was an era when cruss was fash ..I must confesses the outrangesness certainly did raise a laugh ... This was a period piece . My comments would not be complete without mention if the excellent soundtrack ..
naughtysnappy
Complex, funny, deeply upsetting.
Unflinching depictions of misogyny, domestic violence, suicide as well as racist humour.
I don't understand the comments elsewhere about two dimensional characters and the grim oop north stereotype. The mother/daughter relationship was complicated and beautiful. The protagonist compelling. The period detail was really evocative and oppressive.
I also loved the various cameos and Hawley's music.
I never thought I'd say I understand why the racism is there but I did.
I certainly wasn't fine with the use of some really offensive words and lazy stereotypes by such a likeable protagonist (my friends and I squirmed throughout!) but having her not use those words and notions would be whitewashing over how these spaces were and how pervasive right wing attitudes were (and still are) and that I thought was really brave.
Well worth watching. Peake's performance was brilliant.
unyan
Maxine Peake is on top form as a conflicted maverick in seventies Yorkshire who rails against the endless stream of male violence ,human indifference and suffering with her dry wit. The film tips a huge nod to kitchen sink dramas like Saturday night Sunday morning and there's no flinching away from the racist /sexist/homophobic jokes of the era. This film is not for everyone but does provide lots of humorous lines and moments amid the relentless misery. Cameos agogo - even Corrine Bailey Rae gets a look in !