ALI & AVA
UK, 2021, 95 minutes, Colour.
Adeel Akhtar, Claire Rushbrook, Ellora Torchia, Shaun Thomas, Mona Goodwin.
Directed by Clio Barnard.
Yorkshire Screen welcomes its audience to come and spend some time in the city of Bradford, to meet ordinary citizens, their lives, struggles, happiness. The credits indicate that the film is not based on actual characters but, rather, a group of writers and the cast workshopped themes of life in Bradford and came up with the story of Ali and Ava. Both of them can be described as “nice” people.
Ali represents the migrant population of the UK, Pakistani background, a landlord, but genial, driving children to school, married to a younger woman who has ambitions to go off on her own, to study, make a new life. However, they live next door to Ali’s family and they have to keep up the pretence that all is well. On the other hand, Ava comes from Irish Catholic migrants, is now widowed from a brutal husband, loving her children, and devoted grandmother who survived domestic brutality, done a course and is now a primary school class assistant. He is played by character actor in British films and television, Adeel Akhtar, she is played by Claire Rushbrook (who, 25 years earlier, played Brenda Blethyn’s daughter in Secrets and Lies, now resembling Brenda Blethyn as she has grown older). She is several years older than Ali.
They meet by chance at school, Ali giving her a lift home from the pouring rain. One thing they have in common is a love for music, he more for rhythms and beat, she for country and folk. In fact, there is a strong musical score playing through most of the film.
They meet, have conversations, gradual revelations about their situations, with time given to Ali and his relationship with his wife and keeping up the appearances for the whole family. Ava, on the other hand, finds that her young son takes a suspicious dislike to Ali, personal as well as racist. Those are the kinds of issues that citizens in Bradford take for granted every day. Ali has a kind of charm which can even cajole a group of nasty kids chucking stones at him by playing music, some dancing, a kind of Pied Piper.
Ava is very tentative in the relationship, remembering her past. Ali is more venturesome – but, gradually, the relationship develops, despite the hostile son, but encouraged by Ava’s daughter.
Yes, there are some moments of tension, but the niceness of the characters keeps us on side – and living in hope that each will find a future. With each other.
A pleasing slice of Yorkshire city realism.
- The Yorkshire settings? The city of Bradford? Neighbourhoods? Streets, homes, schools, buildings? The musical score?
- The musical background, the range of songs, Ali’s taste, Ava’s taste?
- A Yorkshire slice of life, the areas in the city, Pakistani migrant families, Irish Catholic migrant families, some isolation, some racism?
- Ali’s story, his age, seeing him dance on the car, his love of music, always music, his dancing? Landlord, the tenants, taking Sophie to school, his kindness? The encounter with Ava, the rain, giving her a lift, their talking, discussions about music? Different tastes? Ali and the marriage, his wife and her studies, living separately at home, the family next door, keeping up appearances? The scenes with the whole family, with his mother, sister? The friendship with Ava, the various meetings, drives, the cemetery to watch the moon, going home, the sexual encounter, the repercussions on each? Going away on holiday? The return, the future, Callum and the confrontation with the sword? His wife moving out, the embrace, Ava seeing this, leaving? The consequences? His future, overcoming to meet him?
- Ava’s story, the Irish Catholic background, migration, her children, the fathers, memories of her husband, Paul, his brutality, wearing boots, her trying to save Michelle from a beating? His death? The grave, the cemetery? Grandmother, with Callum’s baby? With Michelle? With Dawn, friendship? At school, with the children? The story about the separation, her husband’s death, doing a degree, an assistant at the school? Scenes of her care for the children? The lift with Ali, discussions, music, friendship, the meetings, Callum attacking him, racism? The holiday? The discussions with Michelle? Seeing Ali with his wife, leaving, returning?
- Nice people, age, experience, attraction, romance, love?
- The next generation, Callum, marriage, attitudes, child? Michelle, marriage? Advice to her mother?
- Ali’s family, his mother, his wife, her studies, in the house together, his tenderness towards her, her deciding to leave? Keeping up appearances at the family house?
- Ali and Ava together at the end – and a future?
