Review of Another Year (2010) by Jordanp — 15 Apr 2011
The writer-director, Mike Leigh, tries to capture moments of everyday life, which in 'kitchen-sink' England means lots of ashen-skinned people being glad that it's not raining and sad about everything else.
And then they drink lots of wine and say pointless things like 'for my sins' a lot. 'Another Year' successfully captures the lack of pace and unedited feel of daily life, and yet strangely Leigh cannot avoid making it seem artificial.
Highlights of the film included an interminable sequence in which Leslie Manville puts on a painful slurred-drunkenness act, and a dinner with a character called Ken who had clearly been directed to talk with his mouth full, because no matter when the camera catches him nor how much he's concurrently drinking or seeming to swallow, there is always a chunk of food in the left cheek.
A clumsy, awkward, slow, ragged and annoying film. But still miles better than 'Happy Go Lucky'.
This review of Another Year (2010) was written by Jordanp on 15 Apr 2011.
Another Year has generally received positive reviews.
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