Portraits of Dangerous Women review – pleasant to… | Little White Lies

Portraits of Dangerous Women review – pleasant to a fault

Published 14 Oct 2024

Words by David Jenkins

Directed by Pascal Bergamin

Starring Jeany Spark, Tara Fitzgerald, and Yasmin Monet Prince

Released 18 Oct 2024

3

Anticipation.

Female-focused Brit comedy with stalwart Tara Fitzgerald its centre. Well, okay then.

3

Enjoyment.

Nice chemistry, few good one-liners, no wheels reinvented.

3

In Retrospect.

Pleasant to a fault.

Following a bizarre road accident, the lives of three strangers collide in this cheerful yet meandering dramedy.

Camaraderie can come in many guises, and in Pascal Bergamin’s Home Counties runaround, Portraits of Dangerous Woman, it flourishes as the result of an accidental dog killing and subsequent hush-up woodland burial. This light, dry domestic comedy of manners draws in an ensemble cast to tell of three slightly-lost souls who become entangled in the aftermath of this grisly episode, giving one another a personal and professional leg-up as their lives spiral out of control.

Jeany Spark’s Steph is a slightly daffy school teacher whose marriage is sliding off the rails (the introduction of a cat into the domestic ecosystem only makes matters worse). Then there’s Tara Fitzgerald husky-toned school caretaker with a past”. Finally, there’s Yasmin Monet Prince’s Ashley, a young woman who’s yet to leave her mark on life, but in the process of consorting with cynical local art dealer Jon (Mark Lewis Jones), thinks she may have found her métier. 

The film has cheap and cheerful vibes, formally stripped back to the core but powered by some game performances and a script that’s lightly peppered with some wry social observation. It’s perhaps a little to purposefully slight and meandering to really leave its mark, but there’s enough invention to make this feel like more than a Sunday teatime TV special transposed to the big screen.

Little White Lies is committed to championing great movies and the talented people who make them.

By becoming a member you can support our independent journalism and receive exclusive essays, prints, weekly film recommendations and more.

You might like

Accessibility Settings

Text

Applies the Open Dyslexic font, designed to improve readability for individuals with dyslexia.

Applies a more readable font throughout the website, improving readability.

Underlines links throughout the website, making them easier to distinguish.

Adjusts the font size for improved readability.

Visuals

Reduces animations and disables autoplaying videos across the website, reducing distractions and improving focus.

Reduces the colour saturation throughout the website to create a more soothing visual experience.

Increases the contrast of elements on the website, making text and interface elements easier to distinguish.