1997 Movie
Dir. Mike Leigh · France, United Kingdom · English
Two women rekindle their college friendship in this simple yet intimate slice of life comedy
Growing up and growing old over time leads to natural separation between friends, but it doesn’t mean that you’ll never see each other again. Career Girls depicts an ordinary reunion between two women Hannah and Annie, but through the subtleties of writer-director Mike Leigh’s dialogue, and the chemistry between Katrin Cartlidge and Lynda Steadman, it captures the weathered yet fond friendship they share, despite all that has happened to them. It’s naturally bittersweet, the same way we remember old friends, but it’s also comforting, just having a friend that sees you for who you are, regardless of the time that has passed since you’ve last met.
A young college student in London moves into a flat and becomes best friends with a flatmate; the former moves into her own flat 4 years later but 6 years after their parting, the former returns to London to pay the latter a visit.
After graduating from college six years ago, Annie and Hannah reunite and rekindle their friendship, and realize how much has changed, and how much hasn’t.
The plot of Career Girls alternates between past and present, but unlike Greta Gerwig’s Little Women’s golden past and blue present, the color grading is opposite– the past is blue tinted, fraught with anxiety and doubt and more melodrama, while the present is brighter, calmer, if still centered on the same concerns. It’s an intriguing way to depict the melancholy that comes when recalling past memories.
A depressing but sweet reminder to reach out to your friends, honestly.
European Film Awards
1 nom
Isabella Endrinal is a curator at A Good Movie to Watch. She's now free from the corporate night shift. Previous articles have been published in outlets such as NANG Magazine. She's currently catching up on some classic films… if she isn't coping with the fact that the Haikyu anime will end soon.
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