Begins like Fat City - grabbed shots of urban life - makes me think how influential that film was. A teacher ('classroom assistant' she would correct me) with a messy, extended family, meets a benevolent landlord and they like each other. The problems are that he's married but separated, and she has a protective and violent son Callum who wasn't aware that his late father was a brute - leading to Ali's great line to the mother "Why do you let Callum keep those boots?"
These two are perfectly acted by Claire Rushbrook and the very wonderful Adeel Akhtar, who has one of the most expressive faces in 21st Century cinema.
I personally would have suggested that the normally reliable (Pieces of Her, Judy, National Treasure) Ole Bratt Birkeland open his aperture a tad, as it's rather gloomy; the editor is Maya Maffioli (Rocks). There's a good thing going on with his house / rap music versus her country / folk.
Rest of cast: Ellora Torchia, Shaun Thomas, Natalie Gavin, Mona Goodwin, Krupa Pattani.
It's good, of course. Clio has since made the six parter The Essex Serpent, with Claire Danes and Tom Hiddlestone.
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