A Way of Life (2004)

Directed by: Amma Asante | 88 minutes | drama | Actors: Stephanie James, Nathan Jones, Dean Wong, Gary Sheppeard, Sara Gregory, Oliver Haden, Brenda Blethyn, Trystan Gravelle, Marlene Griffiths, Amy Morgan, Ri Richards, Nicholas McGaughey, Lindsey Williams, Michael Conway, Gareth Gethyn Evans, Philip Howe , Matthew Jenkin, Linsey Richards

The British film ‘A Way of Life’ can be classified under the so-called kitchen sink drama. Films of this genre are set in the lowest class of British society, where workers, immigrants and the unemployed try to make a living. When you think of kitchen sink drama, you quickly think of the rawer work of directors like Mike Leigh and Ken Loach. However, the debut of director Amma Asante differs considerably from this. While at Loach and Leigh an electric light is lit above the kitchen sink and hot water flows from the tap, that sort of thing is pure luxury in ‘A Way of Life’.

This is not the only difference. More importantly, you can hardly sympathize with the characters here, although you do understand where their antisocial behavior comes from. Battered by life and with a hopeless future ahead, the young people are mainly concerned with harassing, smoking weed, stealing, lying and hanging around aimlessly. Bitter, resentful, and without the support of parents or society, the anger of these adolescents turns against immigrants whom they conveniently refer to as Paki.

From the start it becomes clear where this will eventually lead. Although the drama is therefore rather predictable, it is the relentless and hyper-realistic execution that makes ‘A Way of Life’ successful. The dragging of the baby, the mutual fights, the despair and poverty, the persistent shortage of money and the desire to flee this existence: it is a social reality that fascinates and repels at the same time. Backed by great acting, with debutante Stephanie James in particular standing out as Leigh-Anne, one gloomy scene follows another. Due to the sustained realism you eventually feel the pain and sadness of this unsympathetic couple and that is a great achievement.

The end of the film shows a final difference between Assante and her genre contemporaries. Where other kitchen sink productions often get stranded in a semi-soft climax, Asante manages to convince the full playing time. No purifying light at the end of the tunnel here, but pure misery. This means that ‘A Way of Life’ can be a challenge to sit out; the film is a continuous attack on your humanity, optimism and solidarity. That doesn’t make this drama any less qualitative, of course. Wonderful debut.

Henny Wouters