Review of Another Year (2010) by Stephen Y — 29 Aug 2012

Mike Leigh's drama goes plainly in the middle for all sorts of reasons with the positive side focusing on the abilities to occasionally engage within the material, specifically in the second half, as well as the enjoyable performances from Jim Broadbent and Ruth Sheen as the couple who watch the lives of their friends and family travel in a different direction to theirs.

But on the negative side, the film does come across as frequently showcasing seen-it-all before motifs and displaying Leigh as a director who often fails to get to the point at the right time. There also features several sequences, specifically the simple but effective opening shot, that often mislead the viewer and make us wonder just who the film is supposed to be revolving around, a frustrating trait that might be the director's intentions but clearly do not win us over.

It also suffers from a range of characters, like the characters of Anna and Ken, who despite the actors giving it their all, eventually come across as irritating and awkward to watch, which is often contrasted by our interest in the other characters who we can tolerate with, such as the enjoyable (though aptly-named) Tom and Gerri.