Babs

Barbara Windsor is a wonderful lady, a national treasure even. With such an interesting life, as shown in her autobiography 'All of Me' (which is well worth a read), the film had a good story to tell. Unfortunately, the plot is not allowed to flow due to the continuous shifting back and forth between the actual interesting storyline and conversations between an older Barbara and her deceased father which are very confusing. These scenes feel like they are bridging a gap between the scenes with the younger Barbara. Samantha Spiro is the absolute double of Barbara Windsor and with your eyes half shut you would believe it was her. Honor Kneafsey as young Barbara does a good job, and Jaime Winstone does a good job too, despite unfortunately looking nothing like a young Miss Windsor. Most other characters are convincingly played by the actors. I think that the story of Barbara's life would much better suit a tv series, or a tv miniseries as so much interesting things have happened to Barbara such as the Carry On films, EastEnders and being the wife of a gangster, but having to cram everything into an hour long film of course misses a lot out. I'm 100% sure this would work out as a series full of cliffhangers, suspense, sex and engaging characters. It does feel though that the film does go along the fashion of 'show a bit of younger Barbara then shift back to older Barbara but then go back to younger Barbara but five years later'. The Carry On films are only briefly touched upon and Sid James' name is never mentioned. Kenneth Williams does fleetingly appear and although the actor looks nothing like Williams, the voice is perfection. Also, despite the confusing appearance of the real Barbara in the cafe talking to the younger Barbara, the real Miss Windsor makes a touching cameo at the end of the film which should not go unmentioned. Including more real life appearances of Barbara in films between scenes in this film would have made it better too. Overall: a watchable film, but it could be improved.

This was not a bad drama in some ways but for me it was spoiled by the over use of the older Babs and her Fathers constant conversations, it all seemed a bit arty for me which detracted rather than added to the story. Not sure if it was the fault of Dominic Leclerc's direction or Tony Jordan's dire script.

The young Babs played by Honor Kneafsey was just brilliant and stole every scene she was in. Her scenes were also the most emotional.

The more up to date version played by Samantha Spiro was also realistic but Jaime Winstone as the Babs we all know from the films was totally wrong, you can't fault her acting but she looked nothing like Barbara Windsor, she was too tall and heavy set to pull off the tiny and bubbly Babs we all know so well.

Too much of her life was glossed over or not shown at all. The carry on years were only briefly touched upon, although Robin Sebastian did a good Kenneth Williams. Where was Sid James who she had a controversial affair with? With a better script and direction this could have been great but sadly it wasn't. Compared to the excellent TV drama Eric and Ernie about the late Morcambe and Wise which was directed excellently by Jonny Campbell and written by Peter Bowker and the late Victoria Wood 'Babs' paled into insignificance.

Terrific, so beautifully written, directed and acted , would be a wonderful stage play. Loved all of the actresses that played her. A true icon of our times, Barbara Windsor was such a fabulous character, ups and downs but never daunted. The Lionel Bart part where she makes her name in Fings ain't what they used t'be was superb. I highly recommend watching this production. I loved Core Blimey as well where it was all about her love affair with Sid James, he was absolutely besotted with her. And then Fantabulosa with Michael Sheen who plays the great Kenneth Williams. A great treat and I'm sure I'll watch it over and over again.

Barbara Windsor may had a complex relationship with her father but I am sure it was not like it was presented in this biographical drama.

Tony Jordan, a long time writer for Eastenders wrote this biopic which unlike Miss Windsor's chest felt a bit flat.

The framing device of an older Babs (Samantha Spiro) talking to her father about various aspects of her life is not new. It just did not work for me and made the drama episodic as we jumped around various stages of her life.

We see the child Barbara starting out on the stage with the help of her mother who disappears later on. The younger Babs (Jaime Winstone) realizes she has the assets to turn men's heads. We see her having a relationship with the crooked Ronnie Knight, both had affairs, she also had abortions. Barbara tries to break into serious acting with the Joan Littlewood theatre workshop. For a time she enjoyed success in the New York stage and even attracted the attention of Warren Beatty.

The Carry On years were quickly glossed over and we see an older Barbara Windsor still trying to understand her relationship with her father. Now with a toyboy and doing stage work for a pittance, she does not know it yet, but there is a juicy role in Eastenders just round the corner which will brighten her career and fortunes.

At one point even the real Barbara Windsor turns up which confuses matter further. I think this film just needed a straightforward narrative that was bubbly as the subject in her various happier times.

Samantha Spiro absolutely stole the movie, playing Babs looking back over her life, she played the part so well and looked like her so much you would be mistaken for thinking it was Babs who also played herself in a cameo role.

Another person wrote they felt the back flashes with her talking to her father were tedious, they felt the director had gone of track with the story line. I on the other hand felt it gave a better understanding to where Babs was emotionally within herself as a woman, person, actress.

Not forgetting she played herself within this film and it was about her life, i doubt very much she wouldn't allow something she felt did not give people a insight into her true self (at one point having a dig at her own sexual conquests).

I felt the actress who played her as a young actress was all wrong, unlike Samantha Spiro she looked nothing like her. In her heyday Babs was a stunning Goddess, even to me as a child at the time i first saw Carry on movies. Unfortunately Jaime Winstone who played her was just not right for the role, looked nothing like her and i don't wish to sound rude but if you saw Babs in Carry on Spying she was skinny as hell with a big chest whereas Jaime Winstone was big all over. And unlike Babs she just couldn't sing, i wish they had dubbed Babs singing over hers as she does sing at the end and a hell of a lot better.

As mentioned before, we all grew up with her in Carry on Movies yet only about 2 minutes of the whole movie covered it, nothing about her relationship with Sid James or her long life friendship with Kenneth Williams.

The film just ends with the last 25 years of her life missing, all we get is a footnote at the end which to me is poor quality writing about a national treasure who is loved by millions of people.

The only thing i felt heart warming about the footnote is her marriage to her partner Scott is still going strong, at last she has a man in her life she can depend on.