Another Year
Director: Mike Leigh
Year Released: 2010
Rating: 2.5
Relatively minor Leigh revolves around a stable family in North London (Jim Broadbent, Ruth Sheen and Oliver Maltman) and their core relationships, including their tolerance for a twitchy alcoholic (Lesley Manville) who keeps showing up at their doorstep. The "normalcy" of the Broadbent-Sheen marriage is used as a sharp contrast to some of the other individuals, primarily the Manville lush - it's really a picture about the 'importance' of family values and finding the right life partner/spouse. Even for Leigh this is rather telegraphed, morbid and one-note, inferring you can't grow old single and happy - death, it seems, is right around the corner, and if you don't find a supportive partner to read the paper with you and share cold cuts, there's a good chance you'll turn to drink and misery.
