Review of Another Year (2010) by Zack M — 05 Feb 2011

This movie could have been an utterly boring melodrama but it pulls it off in an interesting and really profound way. The gravity that this older couple has and holds onto throughout the story is remarkable and evident in how the other characters are drawn to them and really what they personify about marriage. It's a perspective that isn't told, in my opinion, nearly enough in film. It presents marriage as such a supportive and natural thing to our basic needs as relational creatures. It's evident that the trials in marriage have and are occurring between these two, but it doesn't draw attention to or highlight them for the sake of drama.

All of the characters really do interact in an emotional real way. They play off each-other well and present the script well. I found Lesley Manville's character to be annoying at times which was due in part to her acting and partly because that is what her character needed to be in those scenes. The characters are all developed in a satisfying way making them seem even more personal than the acting alone could accomplish.

The script and the cinematography are easily the most notable aspects of the film and together make an enjoyable experience. The other aspects of the film are good but they don't play as big of a role to the whole of the story as the script and the cinematography do.

It's definitely a must watch just for the message and theme that it presents, as it's one all of us can benefit from.