The British in Bed

A simple concept: Eight different couples sit up in their beds and talk about their relationships. It sounds titillating at best, wallpaper-dull at worst. But with cannily chosen subjects, the result here is quite magical, an on-camera confessional that allows us to understand these couples and, by extension, ourselves. The interviewees include the elderly Alf and Miriam, whose snippy banter provides some big laughs, and Khadijah and Toriro, who are unafraid to explore the depth of their emotions. Talk ranges from infidelity to babies to attraction, sex and disappointment. With a universality that transcends the United Kingdom, the film’s tenderness and lived-in naturalness makes it one of the more memorable of the year. —True/False