Powder Room
Starring: Sheridan Smith, Jamie Winstone, Oona Chaplin, Kate Nash
Director: M.J. Delaney
Rating: 4/5
M.J. Delaney is a British director to watch out for over the next couple of years as she makes her feature film debut this week with Powder Room.
The movie is based on the play When Women Wee by Rachel Hirons; she has adapted her own play into a screenplay.
Sheridan Smith plays Down-on-her-luck Sam, who leads us on a comedic and voyeuristic journey into the lives of a multitude of women at all stages of love and life, over the course of one crazy night out.
Amidst the shambles of a night on the town, she realises her life is an empty mess, coloured only by her dysfunctional, but devoted ensemble of close friends, Chanel (Winstone), Saskia (Sarah Hoare) and Paige (Riann Steele). She wants to grow up, but is finding it difficult.
Powder Room is one of the best British films that I have seen this year as it has a really fresh and original feel to it.
Delaney and her talented cast girl an interesting, frank and unglamorous look at female friendship that is entertaining and, at times, touching.
Sheridan Smith gives a fantastic performance in the central role of Sam, a woman who is at a dead end in her life and is looking to make things better for herself.
What is so fantastic about Smith's performance is her ability to keep the audience on side through the entire film. Sam has some moments where she is truly horrible, it would have been so easy for the audience to turn against her and wish her ill.
But Smith has this likeability factor, and you really can't help but want more for ever - even when she is acting like a cow.
There is also a great performance from Jamie Winstone as Chanel, while she seems to be living a carefree life, she becomes the moral compass of the group of friends.
It's hard to believe that so much story and character development can be done in the confines of a nightclub toilet; but Delaney manages all of this in fine style.
Powder Room is a movie that many young women will be able to relate to as it is a film that is set in the real world, shows real characters and is dealing with everyday problems.
And while it may be dealing in 'everyday' Delaney has made it a fascinating and funny watch.
Powder Room is out now.