recommended

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

'Common People' is an ensemble movie about a group of everyday Londoners whose lives intertwine in a south London park. It's got some of the feel of Eric Rohmer, being largely character based, but it also has the canny Richard Curtis knack of tapping into universal themes of love, belonging and shared common experience. I think the filmmakers really pull off something unique. It feels like they made a movie about something they genuinely cared about and the resulting film is full of charm, funny, heart-warming, optimistic - I can see why it was so popular with audiences. It celebrates something we all aspire to - to get along together, and appeals to our better nature, which I think is something to be applauded in the often cynical world we live in today. They definitely captured something authentic and genuine about what it's like to live in London today.

Although it is fun to see a film made in our locality, the real pleasure of the film was the skillful interweaving of stories of ordinary, but exceptional, people who were using the Common. All of these stories stirred the emotions, were thought provoking, and were told in a concise and uplifting manner. The film was made on Tooting Common but the characters could be found around the world in any public green space - so the title Common People has a double meaning, and strikes a universal chord. We owe it to such talented ( and local ) film makers to offer whatever support we can to spread the word and give the film the audience it deserves.

I saw this film at the Clapham Picturehouse and am so glad I did.It's a very real, warm, funny, moving and at times bonkers movie. All in all the kind of film that British indies do best.I'm based in London so I did feel a sense of pride in seeing London and Londoners represented this way in a film, but I think the characters and their stories would translate to anyone from anywhere right now. These are ordinary people facing extraordinary moments in their lives and it was great to follow them all on their journey. The characters are also so diverse in their ages and backgrounds that I think this film holds something for everyone to relate to, oh and I should also say that the ensemble of actors in this film do a fantastic job. The performances really are top notch, even from the parrot (!) and dogs (bonkers!) I won't say any more, you need to see it for yourself!To the visuals- The Common it's filmed on looks gorgeous, it's really nicely shot and you feel like you are really 'in there' with the characters, a privileged voyeur, much like the parrot.Yes, this film does have it's faults, but all in all I'd totally recommend it if you're in the mood for an uplifting film with real heart.

What's surprising about this movie is how rapidly you begin to care about all the characters in this neatly woven tapestry of visitors to a London Common, viewed by us the film watchers, and by an escaped parrot!Without giving too much of the multi-faceted plot away, the film concerns a series of regulars initially going about their daily lives, and then observes them get involved with each other with some surprising consequences...Unrequited love, long term relationships, a few cheeky themes, a bunch of life-saving cub scouts and the life of the homeless rather all miraculously build up to a sweet and sad resolution, while looking most pretty and causing a few tears and laughs along the way.Life affirming and recommended.