Directed by: Mike Leigh (‘Happy-Go-Lucky,’ ‘Secrets & Lies,’‘Vera Drake’)
Starring: Jim Broadbent (Tom), Ruth Sheen (Gerri), Lesley Manville (Mary)
Something there is about the English and their gardens, how they tend them, take their time with them, care for them, cherish them, bring warmth and joy to them, even staying with them when the weather turns nasty. And so to is it with Mike Leigh’s latest ensemble piece “Another Year.” Here the talented 67-year old director again brings us a statement about the human condition in the form of a happily married 60something couple who act as protective gardeners for a variety of their world tortured friends. As a film, “Another Year” is a slow paced slice of life, slightly ironic, very sweet, with thoroughly engaging characters, a strangely realistic story, and exceptional acting performances by all.
Over the course of one year, introduced through seasonal gardening as our guide to time passage, we meet an easygoing London couple (Jim Broadbent and Ruth Sheen) who are enjoying their fifth decade together. He’s a working geologist and she’s a therapist for the National Health. They live a quiet life on a quiet street somewhere in a quiet London suburb. They’re still very happy together and enjoy many shared interests, none the least of which is to socialize with friends and family, mostly over lunch, dinner or the frequent bottle of wine at the kitchen table.
Basically, the story is about the problems raging around the friends of this loving couple and how they are unaffected by it as they provide comfort and support to all these lost and lonely souls who’ve entered their life. I was however left wondering if they were really as warm as they appeared, or if they actually drew satisfaction about their own lives through the trials and tribulations of those around them. That’s the beauty of this movie; it’s so close to reality that you as an audience are left with decisions about the characters in the same way you are in life.
The standout performance, in an ensemble of standout performances, is that of Lesley Manville, a 54 year old veteran of Leigh’s films and the British Theatre, who jumps to center stage with an award worthy performance. Her character, Mary, is an attractive but desperately neurotic female, constantly conjuring up romances in her head and then drowning herself in copious amounts of wine when they fail to present themselves. It’s Manville’s brilliant performance that raises the bar in this film, she literally takes over the screen and turns Mary into a true tragic character that we as an audience just want to shake and say, “Come to your senses girl!”
The film’s screenplay has received an Oscar nomination for Leigh’s compelling script, and deservedly so, it tells a universal story in a most unique way. Granted, the film could be a little shorter, but “Another Year” will slowly grow on you, that’s Leigh’s style, well mannered and English, but the journey is worth your time. I liked the film very much.
