Another Year
2010
****
Director: Mike Leigh
Cast: Lesley Manville, Jim Broadbent, Ruth Sheen, Peter Wight, Oliver Maltman, David Bradley, Karina Fernandez, Martin Savage
Tom and Gerri are a happy middle aged couple. They like their jobs, they love to tend their allotment and, most importantly, they enjoy each other's company after 30 years of marriage. Their friends and family, however, are less fortunate. In particular Mary, a lonely, semi-alcoholic daydreamer who likes to come over and pour her heart out. She's a self-centered and obnoxious but ultimately pitiable figure, brilliantly portrayed by Lesley Manville. Mike Leigh's film takes place over the course of one year and the story is split into four seasons. This is another patiently constructed and beautifully acted grown-up drama. The events seem unremarkable, but it's amazing how fully fleshed out and alive these characters are by the end of the two hours. The final shot of Mary is heartbreaking.
