Another Year

Genre: psychological drama

With: Jim Broadbent (Tom Hepple), Ruth Sheen (Gerri Hepple), Lesley Manville (Mary), Oliver Maltman (Joe Hepple), Peter Wight (Ken), David Bradley (Ronnie Hepple)

Director: Mike Leigh

Release: 2010

Studio: Thin Man Films, Film4, Focus Features International et al.

Rating: 14A

MBiS score: 7.7/10

She’s a Puzzle All Right… and One Big Piece Is Missing

QuickView

Story-line: Tom Hepple, a geologist, and his wife Gerri, a psychologist, know how to keep busy even when they’re not at work. They can always spend time gardening, worrying about their son Joe or entertaining friends, especially Mary, Gerri’s co-worker at the community centre…

Pluses: Mike Leigh’s truthful and finely observed screenplay, precise and natural acting by Lesley Manville and cast, sober direction, a bittersweet tone that becomes darkly humorous in the final act.

Minuses: since the story depicts daily life over four seasons, ANOTHER YEAR is rather slow, action is minimal and some dialogues feel like idle chit-chat. Such shortcomings are compounded by an uninspired score.

Comments: Tom and Gerri may get top billing but it’s really Mary, a troubled soul and a more complex character, who supplies the drama and spices up the narrative. In these times when women are consistently underemployed or misrepresented in film, Mary’s presence alone makes this movie a work of value. ANOTHER YEAR may not be Mike Leigh’s best but, considering its good intentions, a minor Leigh is still worth more than many motion pictures out there.

MBiS

© 2016 – All rights reserved