The love and companionship that Gerri and her husband share is in stark contrast to Mary’s loneliness and desperation. With “Another Year,” writer/director Mike Leigh has crafted a meticulous portrait of ordinary people living ordinary lives yet the result is quite profound and moving. Leigh has a particular filmmaking style: he rehearses for many weeks with his cast to develop their characters, improvise and tweak the script. The finished product results in the characters feeling like real people dealing with life’s problems. And by dividing the film into four seasons, Leigh creates a cyclical metaphor for life.
Jim Broadbent is masterful as Tom, the good-natured geologist happily married to kindly therapist Gerri, played by Ruth Sheen in a low-key, multifaceted performance. They are more tolerant of their self-absorbed, needy friend Mary (a virtuoso performance by Lesley Manville) that most would be. Mary comes over for meals, always late, chattering and monopolizing the conversation and eventually becomes drunk. Leigh’s script and Manville’s performance make her a sympathetic character although it’s easy to see that Mary is Mary’s worst enemy. Ultimately, we envy Tom and Gerri’s ability to approach life with tranquil acceptance and equilibrium. 1/9/11
1 comment:
Mike Leigh has made another good movie using his extemporaneous form of Directing. I think he may have a plan here! Look for others to copy. Good flick!!
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