All or Nothing

Genre: ensemble drama

With: Family 1: Timothy Spall (Phil the taxi driver), Lesley Manville (Penny), James Corden (Rory) and Alison Garland (Rachel); Family 2: Ruth Sheen (Maureen) and Helen Coker (Donna); Family 3: Paul Jesson (Ron, another taxi driver), Marion Bailey (Carol) and Sally Hawkins (Samantha)

Direction and screenplay: Mike Leigh

Release: 2002

Studio: Les Films Alain Sarde, Thin Man Films

Rating: 14A

MBiS score: 8.3/10

‟Funny, isn't it? Love. If you're not together, you're alone.”

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Story-line: three English families struggle with daily life and the thorny issues it often poses. 

Pluses: a serious and eloquent screenplay, note-perfect acting, solid helming and appropriate production values.

Minuses: none really.

Comments: novelist Elaine Ford (1938-2017) once said that “Every life is full of drama within. The trick is to persuade the reader that the story is worth telling.” One could easily say as much about ALL OR NOTHING, another high-quality, humanistic work by Mike Leigh. This film is so skilfully made that its characters – even the less likeable ones – will win you over.

MBiS

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