Part of the films which came out in the 1960s from the North of England and labelled kitchen-sink drama, Stan Barstow's novel 'A Kind of Loving' comes to the screen under the sure direction of John Schlesinger.

Alan Bates is Vic Brown, a lad dissatisfied with his lot, who wants to break away from Lancashire to go and see the world, do things, and make something of himself. June Ritchie is Ingrid Rothwell, who after a few fumbles in a bus shelter and a painfully acute quickie traps him into staying put.

Beautifully observed performances from both leads ensure this film is unmissable. As a small Northern tragedy in many ways, it shows a snapshot of a more innocent time and what could easily happen when the heart rules the head. Ingrid's overbearing mother (played by the brilliant Thora Hird) thinks Vic is nowhere near good enough for her daughter - Ingrid is set for better things, not marriage and babies with such as he.

There are lesser characters of interest too - Vic's little brother, his married sister and her husband, his parents, his friends in the local boozer. You can see both the life he wants to escape to and equally why he will stay.

It is also a snapshot of what happens when young love dies. Vic and Ingrid's plight will stay in your mind a long time after you see this perceptive, humorous, and moving film.

Up until the 1960s, films made it appear as if folks who got married only married because they were deeply in love. Marriages forced due to pregnancy were hardly ever talked about in films...though in real life, apparently such marriages were pretty common. This film chronicles one of these marriages.

Vic and Ingrid (Alan Bates and June Ritchie) work at the same office. Vic is a draftsman...a pretty good job for the time. One day, he notices her on a bus and soon he asks her out...and they seem to hit it off well. However, over time, his ardor seems to cool and in an effort to stir up the relationship or get him to commit, she agrees to put out...and soon becomes pregnant. He married her, because that's expected, but there sure isn't any sort of love or romance at this point in their relationship. In addition, Vic moves in with his wife and mother-in-law and the in-law isn't exactly easy to like nor warms up to him. Does the young couple stand a chance? And, what's next for them...as a couple or as individuals?

This is a definite no-frills sort of movie...free from the usual cliches and with very realistic acting. In some ways, it reminds me of a French New Wave film, as it deliberately avoids the usual conventions. So, if you are looking for a traditional romance, you might want to try a different film. Still, it is well made and different.

As someone born and bred not a million miles from the milieu depicted in this and similar fare - A Taste Of Honey, This Sporting Life, Saturday Night And Sunday Morning, Billy Liar - I've never been terribly enamoured of the 'Northern School', 'kitchen-sink' genre that sprung up like fungi in the late fifties/early sixties any more than I could abide the more traditional fare - Hobson's Choice, Hindle Wakes, Love On The Dole - with my taste running (for no apparent reason) more to Coward, Rattigan sophistication plus Esther McCracken's solid Home Counties values. Having said that A Kind Of Loving is among the finest of the genre with two rock-solid performances from the leads.