High Noon meets Life is sweet. In Nottingham.
Without visual cues and audio (or, indeed, the name), Once Upon A Time? may not have been so easily recognized as a Western. But history strip down to their essence and you are left with a story that is as authentic as baked beans?
does not follow good riding a horse in the city to claim the girl he left years ago but it? s now established and built a house with her new man. There showdowns, bar-room brawls and macho many positions, and in the end good prevails over Bad.
Classic Western, even if this means the end is somewhat predictable. The Leone-esque camera angles to show someone who has been doing his homework, and add another level of humor in certain scenes, and the soundtrack features a harmonica riff hopalong evocative. References West, Shane Meadows makes films primarily in the British style of Ken Loach and Mike 
Leigh?
the main cultural points of reference are Vanessa Feltz and Pot Noodles. Once Upon A Time?
ISN? Not as finely observed as Rain Stones, or as fun as life is sweet, and in comparison with Meadows? debut TwentyFourSeven is a bit lightweight. But it has much to recommend, not least some humor to win?
such as the delicious running gag in the form of comedy and inappropriate villains escape vehicles. And the performance is of a high standard at all?
There are rock solid performances from the always reliable Kathy Burke and Ricky Tomlinson, and a star turn of the extremely talented Rhys Ifans. Shirley Henderson is adequate range of eye and dippy, and Finn Atkins as Marlene is a star in the making.
Only outstanding usually seems to be coasting Robert Carlyle, but still carries his role with aplomb. In general this is a very enjoyable movie, it’s worth giving up a half hour of your time.
so little fun for the whole thing. Moreover, failure to use such great British comedy talent - from the likes of Harry Enfield, Reeves and Mortimer, to say nothing of Rik Mayall is nothing short of ridiculous.