SWEET SUE

UK, 2023, 99 minutes, Colour.

Maggie O'Neill, Tony Pitts, Harry Trevaldwyn, Anna Calder-Marshall James Dryden.

Directed by Leo Leigh.

While Leo Leigh is a director and cinematographer in his own right, he has worked with his father over the years. Leigh is the clue. His father is Mike Leigh, distinguished filmmaker, writer and director of so many incisive socially-observed dramas for almost 50 years. Sweet Sue is in this vein.

The film is something of a social slice of life, introducing us to what we might call rather ordinary characters, difficulties in their lives, opening up of relationships, family complications.

We are introduced to Sue, a tour-to-force performance from Maggie O’Neill, middle-aged, lonely, at a restaurant, waiting, stood up by a phone call. She is a rather wilful character. However, her aged mother is in care (Anna Calder Marshall), her daughter trying to do her best for her – but not succeeding. Her brother is ill, confined to bed (James Dryden), soon to die. The brother seems to have had some bikie friends in his past, before his debilitation, and there are some strange characters at the wake and funeral. Sue is rather stoic in her reaction, criticised by her mother, catching the eye of a rather taciturn bikie, Ron (Tony Pitts) in leather gear and helmet, approaching him, taking off for a bike ride, but then an outburst of weeping in the woods.

Suddenly we are introduced to a somewhat bizarre character, Anthony (Harry Trevaldwyn), highly camp in manner and style, speaking to camera, an influencer, with an online clientele.

Time goes by, some months, Sue and Ron in a relationship, he breaking through some of his taciturn manner, she finding some satisfaction in the relationship. And, we are wondering, what about Anthony? We see him yet again, camp in style, dancing, talking to his clients. And then it turns out that he is Ron’s son.

So, as we follow the relationship between two middle-aged somewhat disillusioned adults, the drama veers into problems in a father-son relationship, and the intervention of Ron’s highly strident former wife who is in support of her son, promoting his group and their dance routine. Sue makes some adjustments, finds Ron’s reticence difficult to deal with, has a highly melodramatic confrontation with his ex-wife, tries to relate to Anthony, watches he is attempts to create a choreography and bursts into uncontrollable laughter. Very difficult consequences…

As with Mike Leigh’s films, this Leo Leigh film does not bring us ultimate solutions. The films are probing of characters, their feelings, their behaviour, clashes, friendship and love, and our wondering will these interactions be lasting or whether there will be new phases in the lives of these characters.

1. The title and tone? The film is a slice of life? (And the work of the director and the influence of his father?)
2. The settings, bars, homes, the countryside…? Characters at home in these settings? The musical score?
3. The Sue and her story, middle-aged, at the restaurant, the phone call, stood up, upset, her visit to her mother, in aged care, her mother’s reactions, the mother wanting to see her son, Sue visiting Paul, his wife, his illness, debilitated, the family background and relationships? His death?
4. The funeral, the mother’s grief, the wife, the visitors, Sue seeming unmoved, noticing Ron, approaching him, going for a bike ride, her weeping in the woods?
5. Initial impressions of Ron, the bike gear, the helmet, silent, riding with Sue, the development of the relationships, over the weeks, the meetings, the sexual encounters, the effect on Ron? On Sue?
6. Sue, her shop, the visitors, sense of play, the balloons, Sue and observing her customers…, Her changing the course of the relationship with Ron?
7. The introduction to Anthony, age, style, manner, camp? An influencer, with his camera, his followers? His subjects? His coming to Ron, the revelation that he was Ron’s son, his continued work, the tensions at home, the encounter with Sue? His group, the dance contest, his working on his choreography – Sue Watson, laughing uncontrollably, his being upset? The tensions? The performance? But Sue taking the time to talk with Anthony, possibility of reconciliation? In the street, on the bridge?
8. The scenes with Anthony’s mother, strident, in the street, the separation, her promoting his dancing, the performance, and the confrontations with Sue?
9. Ron, his relationship with his son, taciturn, the meals, affecting his relationship with Sue?
10. The slice of life, age, relationships, tensions, and future…?