Wasp (2003)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Andrea Arnold

Writer:

Andrea Arnold (writer)

Genre:

Short | Drama

Plot:

Zoë is a single mother who lives with her four children in Dartford. She is poor and can't afford to buy food...

Plot Keywords:

Children | Single Mother | Pub

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 21 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Natalie Press	...	Zoë
Danny Dyer	...	Dave
Jodie Mitchell	...	Kelly
Molly Griffiths	...	Sinead
Kaitlyn Raynor	...	Leanne
Danny Daley	...	Kai
Lizzie Colbert	...	Bullet-head
Ashley Routledge	...	Brown-haired girl
Tabitha Crewe	...	Barmaid

Runtime:

26 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Company:

FilmFour

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 77th Annual Academy Awards (2005) (TV)

Soundtrack:

5, 6, 7, 8

A bit too forgiving but interesting and very well delivered

Zoë is a single mum with four kids living on a council estate. Things are rough for the family, with little money to spend on basics such as food and the like although Zoë doesn't really help herself by what she does. Asked out to the pub by Dave, Zoë has to try a place for her kids so she can meet him up.

Perhaps not worthy of the status of being an Oscar winner this is still an interesting and well-made film. Another reviewer on this site has commented that the film can probably be interpreted to suit your politic leaning but I thought that was actually a good aspect of it because it is so ambiguous. Is Zoe a victim of her surroundings or is she just a selfish, council-estate chav? On the surface it is an easy question to answer but, although I did lean towards the latter, the film did make me think about her situation, her poor options and the depressing future that her kids have in front of them. The inability to come down on either side of the fence does take away from the film a bit but I found that the thoughts it gave me covered for it; although I can also see why it would the subject would bother some viewers – after all, are we really expected to be engaged by a lead character that we would move cities to avoid? Press plays her well regardless though. She is totally convincing and deserves credit for being so natural and not allowing the sentimental leaning of the script to turn her into a sympathetic character. Dyer is a good face to have involved and is his usual good value in a wide boy character. The kids are very good and are the heart of the film, delivering depressingly natural depictions of council estate kids – f**ked from birth.

Overall this is an uneven film that will be taken different ways by different viewers but will likely bother many with its forgiving look at a real piece of white trash. However it is still thought provoking and that makes it worth seeing along with very good direction and generally strong performances.