Distant Voices, Still Lives

Acclaimed and evocative feature debut for writer/director Terence Davies offers a mosaic look at the postwar-era lives of a working-class Catholic family in Liverpool, and how their existence was shaped by the popular entertainment of the day as well as the influence of the clan’s domineering and volcanically tempered patriarch (Pete Postlethwaite). Remarkable autobiographical effort also stars Freda Dowie, Lorraine Ashbourne, Angela Walsh, Dean Williams, Jean Boht. 85 min. Widescreen; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English (SDH); audio commentary; featurettes; theatrical trailer.