Bleak Moments (1971)

Shrewdly observed and brilliantly understated, "Bleak Moments" is a rare early work from Academy Award nominated British filmmaker Mike Leigh ("Secrets and Lies", "Naked").

Brimming with the edgy realism and quirky wit Leigh has become known for, "Bleak Moments" follows Sylvia (Anne Raitt), a bored, emotionally numb secretary, as she desperately seeks release from the pressures of caring for her 29yearold mentally ill sister (Sarah Stephenson). Sylvia seeks distraction first in an awkward flirtation with a quiet schoolteacher (Eric Allan) and then with the tenant living in her garage, a disheveled, guitar - playing hippie (Mike Bradwell) who seems to offer escape from the bleak moments of her life. Like eavesdropping on the most intimate episodes in a stranger's life, Bleak Moments is an authentic, poignant and often hilarious portrait of the denizens of London's dreary row houses and the fleeting but significant moments which define our lives.