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IMDb > Once Upon a Time in the Midlands (2002)
Once Upon a Time in the Midlands
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Once Upon a Time in the Midlands (2002) More at IMDbPro »

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Once Upon a Time in the Midlands (2002) -- After seeing his ex-girlfriend (Henderson) turn down a nationally televised marriage proposal, a small-time crook (Carlyle) returns to his hometown to try and win back her heart.

Overview

User Rating:
6.0/10   1,900 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 32% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Shane Meadows
Writers:
Paul Fraser (written by) and
Shane Meadows (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for Once Upon a Time in the Midlands on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
6 September 2002 (UK) more
Genre:
Comedy | Drama more
Tagline:
A tinned spaghetti western
Plot:
After seeing his ex-girlfriend (Henderson) turn down a nationally televised marriage proposal, a small-time crook (Carlyle) returns to his hometown to try and win back her heart. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
1 nomination more
NewsDesk:
Shane Meadows And Paddy Considine Reunite For Le Donk!
 (From Twitch. 22 January 2009, 11:13 AM, PST)

User Comments:
Meadows' worst film.. but still better than average more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Robert Carlyle ... Jimmy
Vanessa Feltz ... Vanessa
Ricky Tomlinson ... Charlie
Kathy Burke ... Carol
Vicki Patterson ... Audience Guest

Shirley Henderson ... Shirley
Finn Atkins ... Marlene
Kelly Thresher ... Donna

Rhys Ifans ... Dek
Andrew Shim ... Donut
Ryan Bruce ... Emerson
Eliot Otis Brown Walters ... Lake
Anthony Strachan ... Jumbo (as Antony Strachan)
David McKay ... Dougy (as David Mckay)

James Cosmo ... Billy
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Additional Details

MPAA:
Rated R for language.
Runtime:
104 min
Country:
UK | Germany
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby Digital
Company:
FilmFour more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
When Dek (played by Rhys Ifans) finds out that Jimmy (played by Robert Carlyle), is back in town, he proclaims to Carol: "He's only your foster brother! He could have Hannibal Lector's DNA for all we know! Rhys Ifans went on to portray Grutas, Hannibal Lector's nemesis, in Hannibal Rising. more
Quotes:
Charlie: [after an altercation between Jimmy and Dek] Sorry, ladies and gentlemen, there's been a bit of an incident. It appears that someone's been given the correct change by one of the barmaids. more
Movie Connections:
References The Right Stuff (1983) more
Soundtrack:
Tomorrow more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
7 out of 8 people found the following comment useful:-
Meadows' worst film.. but still better than average, 14 September 2006
8/10
Author: paul2001sw-1 (paul2001sw@yahoo.co.uk) from Saffron Walden, UK

Shane Meadows' first film, 'TwentyFour Seven', was dark, intense and arty; his second, 'A Room for Romeo Brass', is one my favourite movies, atmospheric, wildly funny and moving. But this, his third film, is not quite as brilliant, and indeed Meadows has acknowledged it as something of a wrong turn. Compared to it's predecessors, the mood is less claustrophobic, the humour a bit broader brush, and ultimately the movie is less poignant. Perhaps part of the problem is that whereas one of the highlights of Meadows' earlier films were the brilliant performances he coaxed out of largely unknown actors (Bob Hoskins was just about the only name of note in them), this film features a regular gallery of Brit-acting talent: Robert Carlyle, Kathy Burke, Ricky Tomslinson and Rhys Ifans. And while I have enjoyed movies featuring all of these actors, it's a bit hard, especially in the case of Tomlinson, to really see them in their roles, as opposed to as themselves. Sometimes, they almost seem to be performing too hard to fit into Meadows' sparsely filmed backdrops. One can also note that the cod-western theme is pursued with insufficient vigour to really define the movie. I don't want to be too harsh on the film overall, because there are still some very funny moments and excellent acting from Shirley Henderson and the young Finn Atkins. But it's certainly less ambitious than its two predecessors, which set the highest of standards by which to judge their successors.

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Where are the English subtitles? magnumco
Why did Shane Meadows dislike this film? elvisbragg
Brummie films eltruji
soundtrack gordonriot
Is There A Soundtrack Album seaeaglehove
Tut-Tut! What happened Shane? theredhalfofmerseyside
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