Christine Bottomley Movies

Andrea Dunbar was a British playwright whose work reflected the gritty realities of life in working-class Bradford, West Yorkshire. Dunbar knew of what she wrote -- she grew up in a Bradford housing project, had children by three different men, was a victim of domestic violence, and struggled with alcoholism before she died in 1990 when she was only 29. Andrea's daughter Lorraine Dunbar inherited her gift with language, but also her weaknesses; she also dealt with unhappy relationships with men, worked as a prostitute, became addicted to hard drugs, and served time for manslaughter when her two-year-old son died after drinking her methadone. Filmmaker Clio Barnard set out to tell the story of Andrea Dunbar's brief, troubled life and the neighborhood where she lived and wrote, and The Arbor is a unique mixture of documentary and narrative filmmaking. In addition to interviews with members of Andrea Dunbar's family and residents of Bradford's Buttershaw estates, where Dunbar's plays took place (which are lip-synched by actors to create a distancing effect), the film includes passages from Dunbar's first play, also called The Arbor, played out against the real-life locations where the story is set. The Arbor received its world premiere at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Two strangers find their chance meeting in a South London train station suddenly bringing together two entirely separate groups of friends, colleagues, lovers, and acquaintances in director Roger Goldby's tale of intersecting lives. Anna (Anne-Marie Duff) and Stephen (Rolf Little) were sitting in a deserted train platform when kindly senior citizen Roger (Frank Finlay) engaged them in conversation while eagerly awaiting the arrival of his beloved wife. As they listen to Roger fondly reminiscing about all of the things that he and his wife did when they were younger, Anna and Stephen realize that they have made a real connection and, if only for a moment, allow their individual lives to slip out of focus. Having recently separated from Toby (Adrian Bower), single mother Anna is now faced with the task of bringing up her young daughter Charlie all by herself. Anna's neighbors are married young parents Jem (Zoe Telford) and George (Rupert Graves). While Jem and Anna are close friends who share all of their secrets, the one thing that Anna hasn't let out is the fact that she has entered into a troublesome affair with George. Stephen, on the other hand, has recently moved in with Fiona (Christine Bottomly), who is so eager to start a family that even her parents are pressuring she and Stephen to get pregnant. But the more intense the pressure gets, the less certain Stephen becomes that he is prepared for such a commitment. It seems like the only peace Stephen can find these days is in his work at a local old folk's home and his friendship with understanding resident Helen (Phyllida Law). Later, after Stephen and Anna go their separate ways, their lives both move into a pivotal period as they find themselves wondering just what would happen should they ever meet again. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi