A Way of Life

In a town in south Wales, seventeen-year-old Leigh-Anne has a baby, no money and social services at the door. The three young people around her are caught in the same place. The film opens with its ending: a Turkish neighbour is beaten to death in the street. The rest tells how that day was arrived at. The film is not interested in a racist killing. It is interested in the poverty that leads to one: it does not excuse these young people, nor does it present them as coming from nowhere. Leigh-Anne's fear of losing her child is what gives the anger its direction. The form is social realism: a grey town, handheld camera, natural light and largely inexperienced actors. The violence is brief and unshowy. It is Amma Asante's first film as director. She had worked as an actor and writer before; this won her the Carl Foreman Award for a debut at the BAFTAs and made her name in British cinema. Stephanie James plays Leigh-Anne. Who it is for: viewers who like British social realism and films that look directly at hard subjects. Who it is not for: anyone seeking relief. The film offers no consolation at any point, and knowing the ending from the start takes nothing off its weight.