secondtake Housewife, 49 (2006)The idea here is to make the fear of German bombardment in London during WWII as real as possible. And the focus is an extremely ordinary family--in particular the woman of the house, but also her low-key husband and two clever and fighting age boys.The best of it is really amazing at recreating the feel and look and fear of the times. The character actors are wonderful, even if they must be a bit exaggerated. The slang and whatnot is a total joy, even if at times there is a feeling of pushing that too hard.There is a deflating feeling that all this possibility and gorgeous period set-building is supported by a somewhat flat plot. It's not that the bombing and the deaths are a bit unimportant, but rather it is laid out with a kind of plainness that should have been compelling but in fact ends up being just plain. The writing makes sense--perhaps it's some combination of acting and camera-work that lets it all just happen too often.The music, I have to say, is horrible, a kind of television soundtrack that is out of place, almost patched in by a hack studio orchestra that hadn't even quite seen the film. It's surprising how much this alters the feel to it all.The leading woman, the housewife in the title, is a sympathetic character and, and the actress is compelling. She is a woman caught between all kinds of pressures, family and civic duties all around (and without always appreciation). And this pushes her to her mental limits (even seeing a doctor about it). The demands on the part, on the actress, are a bit too much for this production, and for this actress, Victoria Wood. The final outcome and maybe the larger point of the movie is something more than civilian life in wartime. It's about futility and sadness and perseverance. You might find the last scene comforting for its notion of quiet survival, or depressing for its lack of joy.

Mark Price Now I am not one to go overboard when reviewing anything but this you have to see. In an interview earlier this year Victoria Wood said she has a few things "in the fire" but she wouldn't elaborate. Comedienne, comedy actress & writer, singer of comedy songs she again writes herself, but this is something special. I have seen her act in non comedy roles before but this has such a range with her initially frightened of the world outside her home,naive, not daring to contradict her husband over anything to later taking charge in all aspects of her life and improving the lives of those around her. Set in the 2nd World War it is not a "feel good" drama and I was close to tears more than once. But you go through the journey she does and you come out the other side uplifted. Well I did, maybe you will too.

keysersoze13 Written by and starring Victoria Wood, 'Housewife 49' was a lovely one-off drama that was perfect for a quiet, winter Sunday evening. Its broadcast also signifies that ITV may be moving in the right direction with its drama output; which has been truly awful this year, with embarrassments such as the ludicrous 'Bon Voyage'. However, the future looks promising as their winter schedules are packed with drama and improvement has been shown recently with 'Mysterious Creatures', the acclaimed final 'Prime Suspect' and this wartime tale.The drama followed Nella Last (played by Victoria Wood in a nice change from her usual work in comedy) through the Second World War as she, against the wishes of her reserved husband, volunteers to aid the war effort with other housewives. Nella is initially ignored or looked down on by the other housewives, but, battling depression and low self-esteem, slowly gains their respect and admiration.The performances are first-rate, from Wood's sympathetic portrait of a woman who is eager to please all, to David Threlfall (of 'Shameless' fame), who is magnificently restrained as Nella's husband, and when he finally shows some love to his wife it is irresistibly joyous. Excellent support comes from Stephanie Cole as an uptight housewife, and Ben Crompton and Christopher Harper as Nella's sons.Overall, a very entertaining, tender and heart-warming piece of TV drama.

philphoto I enjoyed this drama very much. The language , turn of phrases, and mores were of their time . Many wartime dramas are ruined by bad research and a tendency to modernise the script to 'make it appeal to the younger folk' a habit I abhor but seen a lot in the 70's and 80's.. One suspected that the son was 'gay' (a term never used in this context at the time) and I thought oh, here we go, they are making it trendy, but Nellas incomprehension when her Son tells her that the love of his life was a sailor (Fleet Air Arm) killed in action shows. These things were 'never discussed ' in polite circles in those days. Very good, historically accurate drama.