Trivia

The actor playing 'Les," Lindsey Honey, with his adult themed projects, is involved in the similar business direction in real life, under the artistic name of Ben Dover.

Budget was relatively low for theatrical showing intention, as was not originally intended for theatrical release.

For this film, Director Pawel Pawlikowski won a BAFTA Award, the Carl Foreman Award for Most Promising Newcomer in British Film; and the FIRESCI Prize at the London Film Festival.

A.O. Scott of The New York Times wrote though the story "dwells on sorrowful circumstances and illuminates a grim corner of contemporary reality, [the film] is far from depressing. Mr. Pawlikowski, most of whose previous films have been documentaries, balances the harsh naturalism his story demands with an almost romantic sense of visual beauty." He added "the thoughtful stylishness of Mr. Pawlikowski's direction doesn't cheapen or aestheticize Tanya's plight but rather extends to her the dignity and compassion that only art can confer". Scott also singled out Paddy Considine's performance, saying it "gives the film a comic spark and a glow of warmth. Alfie's casual cynicism and underlying decency slowly break down Tanya's defenses, and the audience's, too."

Polish-born Pawel Pawlikowski started as a documentary filmmaker in British television. His second feature, Last Resort (2000), earned him international critical acclaim at numerous festivals, including Toronto and Sundance, and won the 2001 British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) award for "Most Promising Newcomer in British Film."

His next film, My Summer of Love (2004), won the Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film at the BAFTA Awards in 2005.

His tragedy drama Ida (2013) was the first Polish movie to win the Academy Award® for Best Foreign Language Film. Another Polish language-film, the romance Guerra fría (2018) (Cold War) was nominated for an Academy Award® for Directing.