Mike leigh wrote and directed this class struggle comedy drama, set during the thatcher years'. '.strtoupper('s')tarring david bamber, phil davis and leslie manville'. '.strtoupper('m')ike leigh's contemporary film classic is a comedy drama which portrays the intertwined lives of an extended working class family in london during the thatcher years'. '.strtoupper('t')he story follows left wing bike messenger cyril bender, his girlfriend shirley and cyril's conservative mother, who lives in the last council house on her street next to the appallingly upper class boothe braines'. '.strtoupper('c')yril's consumerist sister valerie and her car salesman husband martin join the family to throw a surprise 70th birthday party for mrs'. '.strtoupper('b')ender but, despite their best intentions – and in true mike leigh style – the event doesn't turn out quite as planned…