MRS LOWRY AND SON ***

In Adrian Noble's virtual two-hander "Mrs Lowry & Son", the son is the painter L.S. Lowry and this beautifully detailed chamber piece is about his relationship with his cantankerous mother, who not only took no pleasure in her son's work but actively discouraged him. It's an actor's piece and since the actors are Vanessa Redgrave and Timothy Spall it's a magnificent one.

There's no great dramas here, just the simple banalities of everyday life, which in the hands of these great artists becomes great art. When finally Lowry rebels, (in his own almost insignificant way), against his mother's brutal put-downs it's like being inside an erupting volcano. It's also very theatrical and the director is indeed better known for his stage work and while it moves very slowly is never boring. This is a glimpse into the 'real' world as opposed to the fantasy world mostly served up in the cinema today. It has its own beauty and is deeply moving; I think it's a small gem.