Another Year

Mike Leigh's a year-in-the-life of a blissfully happy autumn years married couple and the lonely people who come into their lives.

It's virtually non-stop dialogue from beginning to end but Leigh allows the actors to really ply their trade and create interesting and memorable characters. Life just unfolds - there's no clever plot devices or surprise twists here, just ordinary people going about their lives as best they can. Some have wealth and comfort while others have much less and are trapped in their feelings of failure and desperation of wanting a better life.

As the narrative unfolds it is Mary, played by Lesley Manville who we really come to like and feel for. She's in her mid 50's, single and lost while her friends Tom and Gerri have a successful and upper middle class life of ease and material wealth. Mary just can't get herself together despite all the support around her, and that's ultimately the film's major strength: there's no trite happy ending or one last ditch effort for a better life - life is what we make it and we all have to live with the consequences.

The performances cannot be faulted, the script (which benefitted from heavy ad-libbing) feels natural and smooth and the film is shot without fanfare of fancy cinematic tricks. It all just works in perfect harmony.

**** out of *****