ALONE in her room with her LPs of legends Judy Garland, Billie Holliday, Marilyn Monroe and Shirley Bassey - is how timid Little Voice spends her time.

LV (Jane Horrocks) has barely spoken since the death of her beloved father. All she has left of him is the records.

She lives above dad's old shop with her mum Mari - the complete opposite of LV.

Mari (Brenda Blethyn) is loud, tarty and a slob. Her fridge is full of rotting food and her coffee table is stacked with gin, Pot Noodles and Silk Cut stubs.

She doesn't have such fond memories of her husband Frank: "Mr and Mrs F Hoff - Can you imagine me feelings on signing the marriage register," she shrieks.

Nor does she have much time for LV: "Trapped up there like a friggin' bird in the rafters."

When Mari's not working or with a man, she spends her time gossiping with her fat, gormless neighbour Sophie.

But life perks up when she meets 'King of Cabaret' Ray Say (Michael Caine) - a sleazy wide boy with a red Chevvie.

Mari falls for his patter and he uses her until something better or younger comes along.

And it does. One night he hears LV singing and realises her talent for perfectly recreating her idols.

This, he thinks, is his ticket to the Big Time. But it's quite another thing getting the nervous LV on to the stage.

The only bright point on the horizon for LV is Bill (Ewan McGregor). A gormless telephone engineer with a penchant for pigeons - Dwayne being his prize catch. Bill seems to understand LV trapped in her 'cage' and despite the lack of conversation, they hit it off.

Little Voice was written originally for the stage and especially as a showcase for the incredible genius of Jane Horrocks, who recorded all her vocals 'live' during the film.

Brilliant though she undoubtedly is, it is the marvellous talents of Blethyn and Caine who steal the show.

I'm a big fan of Blethyn and it's a pity her character wasn't allowed to expand more.

Caine as Ray Say is on tremendous form and his on stage final of Orbison's It's Over is especially amusing.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.