Review of Another Year (2010) by Ceph J — 25 Aug 2011

"Another Year" refers to events during four seasons in the lives of some older middle-agers in London. At the center of this intelligent drama is a couple (elegantly played by Jim Broadbent as Tom and Ruth Sheen as Gerri). We see their relationship with family and friends: Oliver Maltman as son Joe, Karina Fernandez as girlfriend Katie, David Bradley as brother Ronnie, Peter Wright as Ken, and Martin Savage who's riveting in a brief role as nephew Carl.

However, the movie really belongs to Lesley Manville as their friend, Mary and whenever she was absent from the screen, I missed the actress. Manville brings a poignancy to the role that is heartbreaking. She's single, a secretary, lonely, heavy drinker, attracted to Joe who's not reciprocating her affection, intrudes on her friends, and buys a new car which brings added responsibility that she can't shoulder. It's a performance that was overlooked by Oscar.

What I really admired about "Another Year" is that these are genuine characters who look and speak like people you know. The movie is too long for my taste, and needs a good editor to speed some of these scenes along. Bravo to director Mike Leigh for presenting us with a slice of life that is not entertaining but real.