Another Year

2010. Dir: Mie Leigh. Starring: Jim Broadbent, Lesley Manville, Ruth Sheen, Oliver Maltman and Peter Wight. ●●●○○



Mike Leigh's process is often as fascinating as the final product. His modus operandi involving months of improvisation and character building with the actors before a full structure is agreed upon. This normally results in a slice of life that occurs over a very short time period, maybe a few weeks or months. In Another Year the timescale of the piece is extended so we see the relationships subtly develop through four seasons.



The films opens, naturally in Spring, with an introduction to our central couple within their individual workplaces. Geologist Tom (Broadbent) gets excited about mud and sand in a vast warehouse of samples, Counsellor Gerri (Sheen) attempts to help insomniac Imelda Staunton (in a very brief role). Like Leigh's previous Happy-Go-Lucky the positivity of these characters dovetails nicely with the downbeat nature of most of their friends, indicating this film may also be a lovesong to happiness.

Their closest friend is Lesley Manville's Mary, a ditzy secretary who works with Gerri with borderline alcoholism and a desperate crush on Tom and Gerri's (sorry,I'll try not to do that too often) 30 year old son Joe (Maltman). The film mainly charts the friendship between the central couple and Mary as the year progresses.

The relationship between Gerri and Tom is nicely drawn, as much unspoken as spoken, with the occasional tough word between them fitting naturally with the ease in which they cuddle and gossip at the end of each day. Mary is a grotesque creature which Lesley Manville does well to tame, her performance showing the softness within, the scene where she meets Joe's girlfriend is a masterclass and deserves award consideration on it's own. Although I would argue that the drunk scenes are largely overplayed with almost sit com level wobbling around.

Away from the characterisations though the film falls apart. Why would Gerri and Tom even try to maintain a friendship with the montrous Mary? How come everyone in their universe is either perpetually drunk or cracking open a bottle of wine (I lost count of the drinks for any of the major characters)? Does the happiness of the central coupling mean the peripheral characters must balance karma with their depression and loss?

Worst of all is the heavy handed symbolism of the piece. In each season we return to the allotment of Gerri and Tom, the seasonal themes of planting, growth, harvest and death are mirrored exactly in the action, and even in the production design. There's little chance of missing what Leigh is trying to state in these sections, and yet I was still left at the end wondering what the point of it all was.

Ultimatly I couldn't connect with Mike Leigh's latest slice of miserablism.