简介：Tyrowriter-directorAmmaAsanteanddebutingfilmthespStephanieJamesdeliverSouthWalestragedy"AWayofLife"toferociouseffect.SolidlyintheBritishcinemasocial-realisttradition,pic'sstudyofasingleteenmomoozingwithanger,racismandloveforherbabywill,however,bechallengingtomarket,sincethemaincharacterisdespicableaswellasdowntrodden.StrongfestreceptioncouldhelpBlightyB.O.,butthicklyaccented(unsubtitled)dialoguewillimpedereleaseinEnglish-lingomarkets. Afteragut-grabbingintroshowingtheviciousbeatingofamanbyteenboys,picpullsbackthethrottleforaslow-pacedfirstactlayingoutthewretchedlifeofLeigh-Anne(James)inamarginalworking-classWelshneighborhood.Livingongovernmentassistancewithherbaby,Rebecca,Leigh-AnneenduresnightswithoutelectricityinherflatwhilebeingberatedbyherconcernedgrandmumAnnette(BrendaBlethyn). Thisgirlisanythingbutashrinkingviolet,though,overcompensatingwithrageforhervulnerabilities.Shespursonagangofguysaroundher,includingGavin(NathanJones)andRobbie(GarySheppeard),andStephen(DeanWong),whoshelikestoboinkonceinawhile.Thegroupkillsmuchofitstimedrinking,horsingaroundandharassingminorityfolks,alllabeledwiththeall-purposeepithet"Paki." NeighborHassan(OliverHaden)isfromTurkey,though,andheandlovingdaughterJulie(SaraGregory)tendtoremindLeigh-Anneofeverythingshelacks,includingparentsandrealaffection.Asante'sextremelyskilledscriptresistsgoingtheKenLoachrouteofportrayingafullysympatheticworking-classheroine,however.Justonescene,inwhichLeigh-Anneisrevealedtobeapimp,supplyingschoolgirlstooldermeninpubs,isenoughtomakeheralmostirredeemablyrepellant. PicshiftsbetweensuchuglinessandincidentsthatshowLeigh-Anneasabusedbyothersoravictimofcircumstance(includingawrenchingscenewhendrippingwaxfallsonlittleRebecca). Initssteadybuildtowardtheclimaxshownatthebeginning,"AWayofLife"portrayssourcesoftheracisminflictedbypoorwhitesonpoornonwhites,evenasitremainsdoggedlyengagedwithLeigh-Anne.HercounterforceisJulie,agoodgirlwhoseattractiontoGavinsendsthedramaintoacauldronofhorrorsandbleakness.AsantedisplaysrealchutzpahbyultimatelyleavingLeigh-Anne--andaud--inthedepthsofdespair. Intermsofskillandpassion,theadolescentensemblerecallsthatin"MeanCreek,"butit'sJameswhoshootsthelightsoutwithanabsolutelysensationalhandlingofanearlyimpossiblecharacter.Herfierydeliveryseemsalmosttoomuchtobearearlyon,butthewrathandlovearesomehowbalancedandpacedforfulleffect.Thoughshe'sinfamiliarform,Blethyn'sinteractionwithJamesbringsoutafreshferocity. Asanteshowsanassuredifplainwaywithcameraandstaging,aidedbyfirmeditingfromSteveSingletonandClareDouglas,andDylanesquemusicsupportfromDavidGray.…