Who's Who (1979)

Who's Who is a 1979 BBC "Play for Today" by eminent British filmmaker Mike Leigh. This film concerns, in typical Leigh fashion, a wide swath of characters, vaguely related by an accounting office where several of them work. Alan is a middle man and an ingratiating social climber. Obsessed with social lineage, celebrities, and particularly the monarchy, he desperately attempts to curry favour with anyone in the upper classes, whether it be the young Oxford educated upper management at his work, or the high-bred woman attempting to buy a cat from his wife, April. April is the consummate cat lady, a breeder who lives and breathes all that is feline. April is actually quite sweet, despite her obvious quirks, and a good deal of the film's sympathy lies with her. We watch in horror as Alan drives her to tears, first upsetting her transaction with the frigid Miss Hunt, as he tries to suss out her family's origins, then later shamelessly badgering the photographer, Mr. Shakespeare, whom she has hired to take glamour shots of her cats. At the other end of the spectrum lie the aforementioned Ivy Leaguers, the prim but well-intentioned Nigel, his "punk" girlfriend Samantha, the immature Giles, the mutely shy Caroline, and Anthony, a pompous, braying elitist and shameless flirt. This near-absurdly mannered group gathers for a dinner party prepared by Nigel, disintegrating into a fractious argument about "punk." Nigel, ever particular, is hurt as his hoped-for order is lost amidst the argument and the quickly disintegrating level of decorum. The group dissolves somewhat awkwardly, leaving Nigel and Giles with uncertain romantic prospects. Meanwhile, back at the office, Alan is baited by his co-worker Kevin (played by charming Leigh regular Phil Davis), who claims to have visited a fictitious historical residence, one Alan falsely states he is familiar with. The ending somewhat redeems Alan however as he finally shows interest in the romantic scene occurring in an adjacent building. Finally, we see a human Alan, a simple Alan, amused by the daily minutiae Leigh is so adept at capturing.

Who's Who is a nice return for Leigh after the unrelenting and irritating Abigail's Party. Furthermore, Who's Who, while another BBC "Play for Today," feels like a proper film, not a stilted studio creation like some of the others in that series. While Who's Who does dip into caricature at times, we are mostly treated to well-rounded characters, that even at their most obnoxious, reveal themselves to be inescapably human. Alan and April, on the surface a sort of sketch comedy duo, are a complicated couple. While generally placid and polite, the tedium of their domestic situation, intensified by April's roaming army of white cats, eventually simmers to the surface, as Alan, completely ignoring April, badgers the wealthy Mrs. Hunt, betraying his selfishness and disregard for her feelings. Likewise, the haughty Giles, who initially seems to be little more than a boorish, immature rich kid, eventually betrays sensitivity and a sweet boyish reserve. His relations with the exceedingly shy Caroline are never fully explained, but is clear that a complicated, melancholy subtext is playing out between them. It is a testament to Leigh's methodology that subtle emotional undercurrents such as these resonate as deeply as they do, contributing a great richness to the overall effect of the film. This can be seen particularly in the treatment of smaller roles as two of the most memorable characters in the film also receive some of the littlest screen time. The aforementioned Phil Davis is excellent as Kevin, the mischievous office clerk prone to needling the pretentious Alan, and Sam Kelly delivers a delightful turn as the sweet-natured photographer Mr. Shakespeare. The depth afforded these smaller characters pays great dividends as their scenes, though small, and in the case of Kevin, not overly concerned with the main thrust of the story, become poignant, enriching moments.

While not as fully fleshed out as later masterpieces like Life is Sweet or Secrets & Lies, Who's Who is definitely in the strong second echelon of Leigh films, a film enjoyable to fans of his work and the casual viewer. The film is also noteworthy for the choice of actors, other than Phil Davis, who would appear in High Hopes and Vera Drake, I didn't recognize any of the performers from other Leigh films. However unsung (at least to me) they all do a great job, particularly Joolia Cappleman as April.