ANOTHER YEAR
CAROLINE: Mike Leigh’s new film, Another Year, stars Jim Broadbent, and it is indeed the story of another year in the life of a British couple in their 60s. I expected to really like this movie, and I did.
RYAN: Again, I see old people. Admittedly, I watched this at home – or tried to – on a DVD screener, and I was tired when I started it, which is a pitfall of watching a screener at home versus going to the theater… but I started to doze about 20 minutes in. It just didn’t engage me. But I loved seeing Professor Slughorn and Professor Umbridge from the Harry Potter movies!
CAROLINE: For those of you over the age of 14, that would be the aforementioned Jim Broadbent and Imelda Staunton, the latter of whom starred in Mike Leigh’s excellent Vera Drake several years ago.
RYAN: Other than loving the two of them, I just couldn’t get into this movie for some reason.
CAROLINE: Well, it sounds like you didn’t really give it a fair shot, let’s be honest. It’s a great movie with fabulous acting and a touching, very real story. Having said that, it’s a bit depressing too, largely because of the character played by Lesley Manville in a tour de force performance.
RYAN: I’ve heard good things about her in this.
CAROLINE: She’s really amazing. I’m shocked that she didn’t get a Golden Globe nom. Her character is friends with the main married couple, and she’s just so sad and desperate compared to them. She has a failed marriage, never had kids, drinks too much, life full of regret, etc.
RYAN: I don’t think I’d like her.
CAROLINE: No, you would. I felt badly for her, but she also amused me. She’s sort of that crazy friend that a lot of us have who you worry about and want to take care of but also know there’s not a whole lot you can do to better their situation. I’m telling you, her performance is remarkably good.
RYAN: The movie just seemed very slow to me, like nothing really was going to happen.
CAROLINE: Well, you barely saw any of it; but it’s definitely a slice-of-life kind of movie where you’re just seeing the daily lives of these people. It’s probably not for everyone, but I really got into the characters. And I loved that opening scene with Imelda Staunton in therapy. So riveting. The married couple has a 30-year-old son and they’re hoping he’ll meet a nice girl and settle down. But yes, other than that and their friendship with the crazy lady, not a whole lot goes on.
RYAN: I guess I just didn’t really care about the ins and outs of these old people’s lives.
CAROLINE: I hear you, but I really liked how their marriage was portrayed and how happy they seemed together. The whole thing was very true to life. It’s divided into four sections – spring, summer, autumn and winter, and I think it shows how people behave very realistically. But if you’re looking for a heavily plot driven movie, yes, this is probably not for you.
— BOTTOM LINE —
CAROLINE: I think fans of Mike Leigh know who they are and will really enjoy this movie. I greatly preferred it to his last movie, Happy-Go-Lucky. The characters are so well developed and the story is engaging and poignant. I think it says a lot about human relationships. I thoroughly enjoyed it, but it’s not going to be a must-see for everyone. And it’s a small movie that you’d probably be just as happy renting as seeing on the big screen.
— RATING —
