No More Affairs

Richard E. Grant, Photo from NT

Saw the film "Wah Wah" last weekend. Written and directed by Richard E. Grant, it's a barely disguised autobiographical tale. It's told through his eyes as a young boy, growing up at the end of the British rule in Swaziland, watching the disintegration of both the British community, as it faces independence, and - more importantly to him - his parents marriage. The title comes from his American step-mother, who described all the English "hoity-toity" talk as "wah wah".

It's got a wonderful cast: Gabriel Byrne, Miranda Richardson (at her icy best), Emily Watson (playing the aforesaid American, against usual type), the ubiquitous Julie Waters and her Acorn Antiques sparring partner, Celia Imrie (playing a wonderfully horrid "Lady") and is a beautifully observed piece of film-making, filmed on location, with subtle themes woven within the main story.

Go see.