this adaptation of Jo Brand's 1980s-set novel, directed by feature first-timer Keith English, spins an appealing, bittersweetly funny tale of a Morrissey-mad teenage girl whose life is regularly derailed by her mother's worsening mental state
there's a terrific warmth and strength to this good-natured, big-hearted comedy; It's a bit rough around the edges at times, with some pretty broad dramatic effects, but the narrative motor keeps humming and the sheer force of sympathy drives it along
Keith English's film of Jo Brand's novel has a typical Brit-flick kind of hokiness, and this limits the poignancy of the heroine's relationship with her mother
a slightly wobbly comedy drama about mental instability; The way it interrogates and eventually embraces an unconventional female character and upends assumptions regarding mental illness is something to be celebrated
by Peter Bradshaw [The Guardian ]
