The More You Ignore Me

I loved every minute of this movie. It tackled a very difficult topic with grace, compassion and insight. To do all of this whilst being so watchable and entertaining is pure genius. The writing, directing and filming is never short of brilliant and a wonderful rollercoaster ride of comedy, sadness, and romance with touches of intrigue and excitement for good measure. And the acting. What can I say. There wasn't a single weak performance. It is hard to pick anyone out for special praise as the whole ensemble were top notch and deserve a mantlepiece full of gongs.

My one criticism, and my reason for deducting a star, is that the brilliant recreation of the 1980s, which was meticulous to the smallest detail, was shattered when Sheridan Smith's extensive ink work was revealed towards the end. Seriously? Did any woman have that much ink (or even any ink) in the 1980s. Why be so realistic with all the attention to detail of all posters in the background and then have clear shots of tattoos that are clearly post 2000? I'd consider this a major blooper.

But, tattoos to one side, and this still remains a brilliant movie and one that deserves as wide an audience as possible.

If you appreciate movies that are more than car chases and guns then this is worth adding to your must watch list.

I'm American and a tad bit obsessed with British films lately so this showed up as recommended for me on a streaming service. It was described as set to "the music of The Smiths" and even the title "The More You Ignore Me" would indicate it's rife with either Morrissey or Smiths music. It's not. They actually only use two songs, This Charming Man and What Difference Does It Make, throughout the entire film so if you're looking for an insane soundtrack, you won't find it here. Also, it's definitely not a comedy. This is a drama with some lighthearted and touching moments that add up to a very sweet and special little movie. It starts with some background of a young girl being raised by both parents, but her mom has an undisclosed severe mental illness that prevents her from being able to parent. Her dad shows a great deal of love and sensitivity to both his wife and daughter and fast forward to the eighties and the girl is now a teenager. She is watching Top of the Pops one night and discovers The Smiths and becomes mildly obsessed with Morrissey. That is more of a sub-story, a thread that weaves throughout the film, but is not the main premise of the story at all. Her mom's illness has clearly worsened over the years, but they are managing and she receives ongoing treatment in the form of a "depo" shot and I assume they mean depakote, but in current times, a "depo" shot is progestin so it's a fertility drug. It was a little confusing. I also find it odd their close family friend and GP named Marie is treating Gina, not a psychiatrist. Again, different times so maybe it's actually not that far-fetched. Anyway, this med essentially turns Gina into a zombie, basically sitting in the den all day long and watching TV, barely able to speak. That is until her daughter convinces Marie to cut her dose in half so her mom comes back to life and surprise - she also becomes obsessed with Morrissey. There is an engaging storyline and get to know most of the main characters to the extent that you care what happens to them. Alice, the daughter, is so charming and such a good actress. She is the big draw for the movie and the primary character. Her mom Gina is more of a supporting role. The one thing I really did enjoy about this movie was the nostalgia of the times. It was very accurate in terms of music, clothing, attitudes... and I'm not British, but seeing that black wool coat with the little white specks and the brooch... we had the same thing and now I want that coat back. I wish they could have incorporated more music. The one thing that did throw me was the scene where we get a glimpse of Gina's arm and she has a giant tattoo. They should have covered that up with makeup. No suburban housewife or mom back then would have had a giant tattoo on her arm or anywhere else. It was like being jolted back into reality for a moment. I love seeing how close knit and stable their family was despite the mom's severe illness. However, do I think the acting was overdone to depict this unknown "mental disorder"? Absolutely yes. It became too forced. Like a farce. There are moments when it is very realistic and heartbreaking, and other moments where she reverts to this "child-like" persona that is NOT an indicator of either schizophrenia or bipolar disorder so I'm not entirely sure what that is supposed to be. A mental illness does not equal intellectual disability. It's actually a bit stigmatizing and wish they had gone a different direction with that portrayal of the mom's illness. Bottom line, love, love, the dad and daughter relationship, and the story overall. It was an entertaining movie and worth watching if you're a teen of the 80s, whether you like The Smiths or not.

Good story. Great acting, love Ella Hunt. Worth the time

As a survivor of the condition the main character experiences I thought it was an excellent portrayal but felt sad that the treatment back in the 70's and 80's was so poor. Thank goodness these days there are much better mood stabilisers and people can live a pretty normal life. I have been able to have a successful career and bring up 2 beautiful daughters who have a very mature understanding of mental health challenges. Relationships can be difficult and one is very vulnerable to making unwise choices but the patience and understanding of the husband and daughter in this film are beautiful and heart warming.All the characters were well casted and their acting, to me , was superb . I laughed and cried and am going to recommend it to everyone ! Well done Jo Brand. Now I want to read the book !

So I picked up my copy from local video rental called Visual Vibes in Lymington, Hampshire. The director Keith English is local and held a recent dvd signing session in this store. I collected mine and watched with my partner. This movie touches you with every emotion, from joy, to laughter to sadness, all emotions that we go through on a daily basis. The story was basic and simple to follow but the lead actress on this occasion Ella Hunt was fantastic as the daughter of Gina, played by Sheridan smith.

I would highly recommend your purchase of this movie!