Everything

There are very visual films and there are very talky films.

Most films fall into the former category. However, one of the most famous of the latter variety was My Dinner With Andre (1984), a brilliant talk-fest directed by Louis Malle.

This little gem has no gastronomic delights and it's no intellectual heavyweight, either. It does, however, hit you between the eyes with its raw emotions and power.

Consider this as a plot: an unnamed man (Ray Winstone) spends day after day with a local London prostitute, paying her to allow him to find out everything about her. The hooker, Naomi (Jan Graveson), agrees to the arrangement initially, but soon, she begins to question the man's motivations despite the fact that he's not violent, he's very courteous, but he's very nervous and evasive about what he wants – other than to ask questions.

At a certain point, he tells Naomi his name is Richard. He asks for her real name. She refuses. But he keeps pressing for more details about her work, her life, her loves – if she has any, that is. He pays her a lot of money to talk. So, she answers his questions. And, at the end of his time each day, he leaves to go home to his suburban house and his suburban wife to watch his suburban TV etc etc.

Why is Richard doing this every day? Good question...

Were it not for the acting skill of Winstone and Graveson plus the intricate and highly charged script, I think many would walk away from this one, because the narrative doesn't seem to be going anywhere. That is, until you realize that Richard is slowly but surely gaining Naomi's trust: and eventually, Richard is no longer a john or a client. He's a friend...

So, it's when Richard finally asks Naomi to do something extra special for him that the real reason for Richard's interest in Naomi is revealed in an emotional climax that will touch all but the most cynical or hard-hearted.

So, to say any more about this very clever narrative would spoil it completely.

Cinematography and music soundtrack are excellent, although I was a bit annoyed by the overuse of quick zooms in, reminding me of the way some Asian directors do the same technique with martial arts films. That aside, it's actually very well photographed, with some unusual stairway shots. Some might say it is way too slow. Given the context of the whole story, however, I think it's just right.

Now - all of that might make you think this film is a downer. Not so. In fact, it's an object lesson in what it means when you gain somebody's trust – and the final scene between Richard and Naomi says it all...

Just back from seeing this low-budget UK film, written and directed by Richard Hawkins and starring Jan Graveson as Naomi (a prostitute in a dirty room in London) and Ray Winstone as Richard (a mysterious character who only wants to visit Naomi to talk, play cards and ask questions).

Filmed in very dark and cramped conditions, 'Everything' is claustrophobic and seedy from the start, but starts with much more potential than it actually fulfils. I could see the 'twist' coming from a long way away, although I can't fault the central characterisations of performances of Winstone and Graveson. It could have just been a little bit more off the wall than it is.

A middle aged man called Richard visits a prostitute called Naomi . He doesn't want sex and Naomi is unsure what he does want . Richard visits her again and his visits become more and more frequent

The only real reason I watched this was because it was a relatively old film from just over ten years ago starring Ray Winstone , an actor who no matter what he appears in always seems to be playing a London geezer called Ray Winstone but the guy is one of the most likable actors in Britain and if he was reading out his shopping list I'd still watch him

EVERYTHING is written and directed by Richard Hawkins and this was his debut feature and since then hasn't made another feature . It's hardly surprising because this type of film , a sort of cross between plot less realist cinema and grief porn was and still is churned out by British independent cinema and there's nothing to really set it out from this type of very limited market and has that sort of uncinematic feel that goes with the territory . . In fact in many ways it feels like a slightly more gritty version of EASTENDERS with a couple of characters sitting in a room getting more and more miserable and angry at the world . To be fair both Winstone and Jan Graveson are very good in their roles of Richard and Naomi but apart from that I can barely remember anything about it having just seen it

I'm just home from seeing this film at Sydney's Film Festival (2005) and have to say I was very impressed. It was especially rewarding to have the director (Richard Hawkins) in attendance for Q&A after the film.

The performances were captivating, the suspense was just right (you never lost interest but weren't overly stressed either) and the setting utterly believable. (NB: the locations were real, not sets).

The two main characters, although unusual, were validated by excellent dialogue and acting (Winstone and Graveson). And the story was interesting and very moving.

I always think the measure of a good film is when I'm not aware of the audience or the chair I'm sitting in. I'm happy to say I was oblivious to both.

On the downside, various jerky zooms reminded me that there was actually a camera involved and prevented complete immersion in the story outside of the storytelling. But it is nevertheless astonishingly impressive to see what a small budget ($47,500) and an enthusiastic writer/director can achieve in a 9 day shoot!

I really enjoyed this film and the acting was brilliant throughout with some outstanding performances. The storyline is completely original and excels by not allowing the plot to grind to a halt. Ray winstone as always is excellent and proves what a versatile actor he is by playing this role. His daughter's role is executed well and I believe she is destined for better things. Gritty in places and all in all a very good film which deserves to be seen by anyone who likes a drama with some substance behind it. Even though the film is about prostitution this is not portrayed in a gratuitous way so anyone looking for that should go elsewhere. The actress playing the ageing prostitute plays it to amazing effect and her role is kept fresh and you feel like you are sitting in the room with them as the film evolves.