Vera Drake (2004, Mike Leigh) - B+

Amy Taubin is (mostly) right: pick up the current Film Comment to see the diva's ornate dissection of Leigh's latest. More later (i.e., I'm reviewing it for next Wednesday's issue), but the director's largely back on his A-game, although there's a sneaking (but easily brushed aside) suspicion that he's merely imparting his own particlar brand of genius onto a standard liberal tract. More unnervingly, it feels like Leigh adapting an abandoned von Trier script. Office geeks alert: Rowan plays a small but significant role. Jesus Christ, is that geeky.