Mr. Turner

Written and directed by Mike Leigh, Mr. Turner is the story about the life and career of British painter J. M. W. Turner who was considered one of the most radical painters of the 19th Century. Told in an unconventional fashion, the film explores Turner’s work as a painter and what drives his art as he is played by Timothy Spall. Also starring Lesley Manville, Dorothy Atkinson, Paul Jesson, Marion Bailey, and Martin Savage. Mr. Turner is an astonishing yet captivating film from Mike Leigh.

Set in 19th Century Britain, the film is the story of one of Britain’s most revolutionary and daring painters of the century’s first half who created images that didn’t play by convention but rather look at a landscape or the see as it is. Yet, it is told from the prime of his life where he is getting recognition as an artist to his death in 1851 where he creates paintings through watercolor and evocative images of skies and the sea with colors that were considered to be innovative. The film also showed that Turner was a man who was also very polarizing during his time where some thought he was mad for the works he did while there are some who thought he was a genius. At the same time, the film portrayed Turner as a man who lived by his own rules despite the fact that he often neglects his maid who is in love with him while he would fall for a twice-widowed landlady whom he would later marry.

The film’s screenplay does play into a rise and fall scenario as its first act is about Turner’s rise through the British art world despite some reservations for some on his work. The second act is about that continuation but also show Turner deal with criticism as he finds solace in her personal life despite some trouble which involves the daughters he has but neglects as well as his maid. It plays into a man who lives in a very unconventional fashion in his lifestyle which alienates some but others are fascinated by it. Especially in his approach to painting and how he wants to see things which definitely arise those with strong opinions to see if his art is any good or not. By the film’s third act, it is about not just the dismissive opinion towards his painting from those in society including royalty but also Turner dealing with his failing health. Notably as he also copes with the changes that goes on in the world of art where his paintings are seen as either passé or just too radical for the British public.

Mike Leigh’s direction is very intoxicating in not just the way he presents the world of 19th Century Britain where it would transition during the age of the Industrial Revolution with trains and factories. It’s also in the fact that some of the images he would create are attempts to visualize Turner’s paintings where some of it looked like real paintings. Shot in various locations in Britain, Leigh does create something that is quintessentially British in its look and atmosphere while much of the dialogue and language has a looseness where the actors are able to improvise and say things as if it felt natural to those times. Even as Leigh wanted to deviate from the convention of traditional bio-pics where he uses the setting to do something that feels real as he is known for never using a script to guide him.

Leigh’s approach to framing with some unique wide and medium shots do carry a sense of atmosphere in some of the locations including the painting galleries where people of royalty would gaze into them. Much of it involves some slow yet gazing camera movements along with scenes of Turner creating his paintings as Leigh does approach many of his compositions as if it was a painting by Turner but with people and things rather than the landscapes themselves. Even as some of Leigh’s close-ups use to play into the world that Turner is in and how some suffer from it or those who are enriched by his presence. It all plays into the fact that Turner cares about his work and the land he is from no matter what a bunch of snobbish critics, people of society, or royalty think of them as he made his work for Great Britain. Overall, Leigh creates a sensational and exhilarating film about one of Britain’s great painters.

Cinematographer Dick Pope does incredible work with the film‘s cinematography with its rich usage of colors to play into some of the film‘s lighting schemes as well as maintain some rich colors in some of the film‘s interior settings as it is a major highlight of the film. Editor Jon Gregory does excellent work with the editing as it‘s mostly straightforward to play into Turner‘s approach to painting while there‘s some rhythmic cuts and montages for a few moments in the film. Production designer Suzie Davies, with set decorator Charlotte Watts and art director Dan Taylor, does amazing work with the look of Turner‘s studio and the art galleries where many of Britain‘s painters post their paintings for the royals to see. Costume designer Jacqueline Durran does fantastic work with the costumes to create the look of the clothes the men and women wore including the ragged clothes that Turner wears.

Hair/makeup designer Christine Blundell does brilliant work with the hairstyles of the women as well as some of the facial hair and hairstyle of the men. Visual effects supervisor George Zwier does nice work with some of the film‘s visual effects as it is very minimal for a few scenes set in skylines and for some big ships. Sound editor Lee Herrick and sound designer Robert Ireland do superb work with the sound to create something that is sparse but also naturalistic in the sound work while going for something big in a few scenes set in the sea. The film’s music by Gary Yershon is marvelous for its orchestral-based score that ranges from themes with soaring and lush string arrangements to more somber pieces as it plays into the many moods that Turner endures in his life.

The casting by Nina Gold is phenomenal as it features small yet notable appearances from Leo Bill as the famed photographer J.E. Mayall, Peter Wight as the famed art patron Joseph Gillot, Sinead Matthews as Queen Victoria, Tom Wlaschiha as Prince Albert, Karina Fernandez as a singer Turner befriends at a gathering, David Horovitch as Turner’s physician Dr. Price, Joshua McGuire as the pretentious art critic John Ruskin, Sandy Foster and Amy Dawson as two of Turner’s adult daughters in their respective roles as Evalina and Georgiana, and Fenella Woolgar as art critic Elizabeth Eastlake. Other noteworthy small roles as such famous British painters include James Fleet as John Constable, Richard Bremmer as George Jones, Jamie Thomas King as David Roberts, Mark Stanley as Clarkson Frederick Stanfield, Simon Chandler as Augustus Wall Callcott, and Roger Ashton-Griffiths as Henry Williams Pickersgill.

Ruth Sheen is terrific as Sarah Danby as a former lover of Turner who is the mother of his two daughters as she despises Turner for not being there enough for his girls. Martin Savage is fantastic as Turner’s friend Haydon who is also a painter but one who struggles to succeed in the world of art as he would also owe many including Turner money. Lesley Manville is superb as the scientist Mary Somerville who would show Turner some unique insight into the world of light and science that would inspire his work. Paul Jesson is excellent as Turner’s father William who is a big supporter of his son as he does whatever to help him despite his ailing health.

Marion Bailey is amazing as Sophia Booth as a landlady who lets Turner stay with her under an alias as she later becomes his lover while learning about his true identity and his work where she would give him a life outside of that world. Dorothy Atkinson is brilliant as Turner’s maid Hannah Danby as a woman who is in love with Turner but feels neglected and exploited sexually for Turner’s own desires as she later copes with his growing absences at home. Finally, there’s Timothy Spall in a magnificent performance as J.M.W. Turner as this very brilliant but troubled artist who lives under his own rules as he is also very radical in who he is as a person and as an artist while trying to deal with the world around as well as those he feel don’t understand his work as it’s a really Spall at his best.

Mr. Turner is an outstanding film from Mike Leigh that features an incredible performance from Timothy Spall as the titular character. Armed with a great ensemble cast as well as top-notch technical work, the film isn’t just a very provocative look into one of Great Britain’s great painters but also into the world of art. Especially in the way art was viewed in those times and how Turner was someone that was considered too daring in a world that was confined by old rules. In the end, Mr. Turner is a spectacular film from Mike Leigh.

Mike Leigh Films: (Bleak Moments) - (Hard Labour) - (The Permissive Society) - (Nuts in May) - (Abigail’s Party) - (Kiss of Death) - (Who’s Who) - (Grown-Ups) - (Home Sweet Home) - (Meantime) - (Four Days in July) - (High Hopes) - Life is Sweet - Naked - Secrets and Lies - Career Girls - Topsy-Turvy - All or Nothing - Vera Drake - Happy Go Lucky - Another Year

© thevoid99 2015

Topsy-Turvy

Written and directed by Mike Leigh, Topsy-Turvy is the story about Gilbert and Sullivan’s attempt to create their greatest play in The Mikado as the two men fight each other creatively and personally through this 15-month ordeal that culminates with its premiere in 1885. While the film is a fictional account of the making of The Mikado, Leigh approach his same improvisational style to directing actors to explore what goes in the world of creating art. Starring Jim Broadbent, Allan Corduner, Timothy Spall, Lesley Manville, Shirley Henderson, Kevin McKidd, Dexter Fletcher, Alison Steadman, Ron Cook, and Andy Serkis. Topsy-Turvy is a delightful yet engrossing film from Mike Leigh.

It’s January 1884 as W.S. Gilbert (Jim Broadbent) and Arthur Sullivan (Allan Corduner) release their new opera Princess Ida to a lukewarm reception as Sullivan falls ill from kidney disease while Gilbert is dealing with writer’s block. Facing pressure to create a new piece for the Savoy, Sullivan goes on a holiday to France while Gilbert stays in England with his wife Kitty (Lesley Manville) who has been aware that having Princess Ida play during the hot British summer was a bad idea. After Sullivan’s return from France with mistress Fanny Ronalds (Eleanor David), he and Gilbert have no idea what to do as Sullivan refuses to repeat his own musical ideas while Gilbert has a hard time creating a new story.

With their producer Richard D’Oyly Carte (Ron Cook) deciding to revive their old play The Sorcerer as a way to make profit, Gilbert and Sullivan are unsure what to do as Sullivan refuses to repeat any ideas for a new libretto that Gilbert has written. Meanwhile, the actors who had worked in the Gilbert & Sullivan plays are becoming frustrated as some want a pay raise while dealing with their own personal issues. When Kitty convinces Gilbert to attend a Japanese exhibition of arts and crafts, Gilbert is suddenly inspired to write a new piece as it also inspires Sullivan to create The Mikado.

With all of the actors joining up for the project, complications arise as Gilbert wants an air of authenticity as he invites Japanese women to teach his actresses how to walk. Still, Gilbert and Sullivan are unsure about the opera itself where a decision about a song cut from the opera forces him to deal with the actors who felt very strongly about it. With opening night emerging, Gilbert and Sullivan wonder how the play will do as they also try to deal with its aftermath.

The film is about two men dealing with failure and the pressure to come up with something that would eventually be their best work. Yet, it’s also an in-depth look into the way art is made by two people who respect each other but at times, don’t really like each other. Sullivan is a guy that likes to have a good time with a mistress and enjoy a bit of decadence to escape his own kidney problems. Gilbert is the more anxiety-ridden as he wants to avoid dealing with his ailing mother while spending time with his wife. Yet, they’re both very creative personalities who really want to bring out the best opera out there to Victorian society as they’re also very stubborn artists.

Mike Leigh’s approach to the story deals with the world of creativity as well as the world of the late 1800s in British Victorian society where men wore suits and women wore big dresses with corsets inside. Leigh also explores the complex and often troubled relationship between Gilbert and Sullivan based on stories about the duo and the way they worked together. The story also allows Leigh to dwell into what the actors are thinking about their own performances in the play as well as their own personal lives. Yet, they all come together in the third act when the actors and the creative forces try to finish an opera they all believe could be great.

Since Leigh is known for never using a script and allowing his actors to improvise, it allows the film to have a tone that feels very loose through his direction. With rich compositions highlighting a lot on what goes on in and out of the stage as well what goes in the respective homes of Gilbert and Sullivan. Leigh crafts a film that is engaging into what goes in the world of creating art while having some amazing compositions such as high shots to see what middle-class people would see at a theater or what the actors are seeing. The overall work Leigh creates is sensational as he creates a truly funny yet mesmerizing film.

Cinematographer Dick Pope does an incredible job with the film‘s colorful photography from the way he sets the mood in the stage look for the differing plays to a more straightforward yet colorful look to many of the interiors settings in the film. Editor Robin Sales does an excellent job with the editing to create rhythmic cuts to capture the intensity of what goes on in the making of a stage as well as playing to the melody of some of the musical moments of the film. Production designer Eve Stewart, along with set decorator John Bush and art director Helen Scott, does a spectacular job with the set pieces created from the spacious living room of Gilbert to the more intimate bedroom of Sullivan plus the staging of the operas that is created in the film.

Costume designer Lindy Hemming does a magnificent job with the late 19th Century period costumes from the dresses look and feel to the costumes created for The Mikado opera. Hair & makeup designer Christine Blundell does a fabulous job with the way the hair looks to that 19th Century period for women as well as the wigs and makeup made for The Mikado. Sound recordist Tim Fraser and sound editor Peter Joly do stellar work with the sound from the way sound is made for some parts of the stage presentation to the intimacy that occurs during rehearsal. The film’s music is largely dominated by the works of Gilbert and Sullivan that is adapted by composer Carl Davis who uses pieces from other operas as score music to emphasize the drama and humor that includes the stage scene as it’s a highlight of the film.

The casting by Nina Gold is truly amazing for the large ensemble that is created for the film as all of the actors do their own singing for the film. Making appearances in the film, which includes a lot of Leigh regulars, are Ashley Jensen as a chorus member, Andy Serkis as an eccentric choreographer, Katrin Cartlidge as a friend that Sullivan entertains, Alison Steadman as a costume designer, Eve Pearce as Gilbert’s ailing mother, Naoko Mori as a Japanese waitress Gilbert meets at the exhibition, Dexter Fletcher as Sullivan’s butler, and Wendy Nottingham as Carte’s assistant Helen Lenoir. In standout supporting performances, there’s Vincent Franklin as the joyful Rutland Barrington and Martin Savage as the troubled yet gifted George Grossmith.

Dorothy Atkinson as the injured diva Jessie Bond, Eleanor David as Sullivan’s mistress Fanny Ronalds, and Shirley Henderson as the insecure yet talented Leonara Braham are all wonderful in their respective roles. Kevin McKidd is excellent as the demanding Duward Lely while Timothy Spall is superb as veteran lead Richard Temple who gets to play the title role in The Mikado. Ron Cook is terrific in a low-key performance as Gilbert and Sullivan’s producer Richard D’Oyly Carte while Lesley Manville is brilliant as Gilbert’s supportive wife Kitty.

Finally there’s the duo of Jim Broadbent and Alan Corduner in fantastic performances in the respective roles of W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan. Broadbent brings a great sense of turmoil and anguish in Gilbert that is striving to create the best opera he can while Corduner is the more humorous of the two as the funnier Sullivan. Though Broadbent and Corduner don’t have a lot of scenes together, the two do have great rapport together as these two different personalities who are trying to create an opera they will be remembered for. It’s definitely some of the best work for both Broadbent and Corduner for the way they portray Gilbert and Sullivan.

Topsy-Turvy is a splendid yet witty film from Mike Leigh featuring an outstanding ensemble cast led by Jim Broadbent and Alan Corduner. The film is definitely one of Leigh’s finest films in terms of its ambition and the way he brings a unique interpretation to the world of late 19th Century Victorian society. Notably in how he explores the world of creativity at its most troubled as he creates a wonderful study on that world while making it entertaining with the use of the music and operas of Gilbert & Sullivan. In the end, Topsy-Turvy is a superb yet dazzling film from Mike Leigh.

Mike Leigh Films: (Bleak Moments) - (Hard Labour) - (The Permissive Society) - (Nuts in May) - (Abigail’s Party) - (Kiss of Death) - (Who’s Who) - (Grown-Ups) - (Home Sweet Home) - (Meantime) - (Four Days in July) - (High Hopes) - Life is Sweet - Naked - Secrets & Lies - Career Girls - All or Nothing - Vera Drake - Happy-Go-Lucky - Another Year - Mr. Turner

© thevoid99 2012

All or Nothing

Written and directed by Mike Leigh, All or Nothing tells the story of three families living in working-class London as they each deal with the changes in their lives. Along the way, they all intersect to discuss their own lives and the messiness that is around them. Starring Timothy Spall, Lesley Manville, James Corden, Alison Garland, Ruth Sheen, Sally Hawkins, and Daniel Mays. All or Nothing is a good although extremely dreary film from Mike Leigh.

Phil Basset (Timothy Spall) is a miserable cab driver who works on long hours day and night as a cab driver for a company run by Neville (Gary McDonald). His friend Ron (Paul Jesson) also works in the same company but always manages to get into some accident that leaves him ailing for money. Phil and Ron’s family life are messy as they each deal with their own world. Phil’s wife Penny (Lesley Manville) works as a supermarket cashier with friend/neighbor Maureen (Ruth Sheen) whose daughter Donna (Helen Coker) is in an abusive relationship with her boyfriend Jason (Daniel Mays). Penny’s daughter Rachel (Alison Garland) works at nursing home while her younger brother Rory (James Corden) is an angry, obese teenager who refuses to do anything.

Ron’s wife Carol (Marion Bailey) is an alcoholic always intoxicated while their daughter Samantha (Sally Hawkins) is a slacker trying to find work while dealing with a creepy stalker (Ben Crompton) near her apartment. Everyone works as they all try to deal with their day-to-day lives as Donna learns she’s pregnant making Jason very upset. When Maureen learns what happens, she tries to sort things out while Rachel is being flirted by an old man (Sam Kelly). On another typical day when Phil is working as he has a French woman (Kathryn Hunter) as a passenger. Phil has a realization about his life leaving him to shut off his phone and just drive somewhere. Yet, the timing turns out to be bad when a family emergency brings everyone together.

The film is about a trio of dysfunctional families living their lives in London as they all live in the same apartment building interacting with one another and go on with their lives. They all try to help each other while some are going through the motions of working and doing things when they work with the exception a few people who don’t really do anything. Yet, they’re all pretty miserable as the main focus is on the Basset family where there’s a couple whose marriage is pretty much on the outs which affects the family. The other two stories about a mother and her pregnant daughter and the other family who are an absolute mess help balance out the rest of the film.

Leigh’s story has the same kind of improvisational yet free-flowing feel that is common with all of his films since he doesn’t really use a script to tell the story. The problem with this film is that there’s not much to tell as the first act starts off very slow and almost becomes a bit repetitive though it seems like that is what Leigh is aiming for. At the same time, because everyone looks like a mess with the exception of a couple of scenes where one of them has Maureen and Penny go out to a club looking pretty clean and normal though Carol remains a mess. Throughout the story, there’s a lot of scenes where Phil drives his cab and deals with an array of passengers and comes home where Penny doesn’t seem to enjoy him around. For Phil, feeling unloved and unhappy would cause him to drift from everything but at the wrong time in the film’s climatic moment.

Leigh’s direction is pretty good as he keeps things straight in his direction. Yet, there’s a lack of style that happens throughout with the exception of a few scenes. Leigh is always creating something that is engaging about the way a family has dinner together or having a moment together. There is something that is compelling in what he tries to create though it starts off very slow where nothing is happening and it ends up becoming very depressing. Things do pick up in the film’s climatic moment that includes a very emotional scene in the realization about a family’s life. While the ending is a bit cheerful, it does feel a bit unresolved as far as the two other families are concerned though it’s open for interpretation about what could happen. Overall, Leigh creates something that is intriguing but lacks a lot of weight to keep things going.

Cinematographer Dick Pope does an excellent job with the photography in capturing the nighttime setting of London with a very gorgeous look while most of the film, with the exception of a scene at the beach, is very straightforward. Editor Lesley Walker does a good job with the editing as she maintains a mostly straight approach to the cutting while using fade-outs for the transitions to keep things movie.

Production designer Eve Stewart and art director Tom Read do fine work with the look of the film from the dreary apartments everyone lives in to the old folks home that Rachel works at. Costume designer Jacqueline Durran does nice work with the costumes by maintaining a mostly casual look that is very grimy while the clothes that Maureen wear the karaoke scene is pretty stylish. Sound editor Peter Joly doe some stellar work in capturing the sound for the various locations throughout the film including the chaos of the London streets. The film’s score by Andrew Dickson is pretty good for a lot of the smooth, orchestral pieces played in the film that adds a sense of melancholia throughout. Yet, it also becomes a bit aggravating as it’s always played in between many of the film’s transitions.

The casting by Nina Gold is really the highlight of the film as it includes some standout small performances from Diveen Henry as Neville’s sister, Gary McDonald as the cab service boss Neville, Kathryn Hunter as a French passenger, Sam Kelly as the old man that flirts with Rachel, Robert Wilfort as a doctor, and Ben Crompton as the creepy Craig. Other notable performances include Daniel Mays as the very abusive Jason, Marion Bailey as the often-intoxicated Maureen, and Paul Jesson as the frustrated Ron. Helen Coker is very good as the troubled yet abused Donna while Sally Hawkins is extraordinary as the sexy though lonely Samantha. Ruth Sheen is superb as Maureen, Donna’s mother who tries to help her daughter out while proving to be a tough, no-holds-barred woman who can get things in control and deal with Jason.

James Corden is excellent as Rory, an obese teenager who often spouts insults at his mother as he lazes around in the couch and smoke cigarettes only to finally get into some trouble. Alison Garland is brilliant as Rachel, a quiet young woman who works at a nursing home as she tries to keep things organized while being the one who watches her parents’ marriage break apart. Timothy Spall is great as Phil, a depressed cab driver who tries to cope with everything around him as Spall has a very dirty look where he is unshaven and hasn’t washed his hair. Finally, there’s Lesley Manville in a radiant role as Penny. A woman who tries to help out though she is unaware that she seems to be not really helping as she gives what is truly a heartbreaking performance.

All or Nothing is a decent though grim film from Mike Leigh despite an intriguing premise and a superb cast. While it’s a film that has a lot of Leigh’s unconventional storytelling ideas and intriguing study of characters and situations. It’s a film that doesn’t have much weight as it starts off very slow and tedious for about the first half only to pick up in the second half. It’s a film that isn’t among his greats like Naked, Secrets & Lies, and the films he made after this. Yet, it is still a compelling piece as All or Nothing is a film with some good moments that could only come from someone as revered as Mike Leigh.

Mike Leigh Films: (Bleak Moments) - (The Permissive Society) - (Knock for Knock) - (Hard Labour) - (Nuts in May) - (Abigail’s Party) - (Kiss of Death) - (Who’s Who) - (Grown-Ups) - (Home Sweet Home) - (Meantime) - (Four Days in July) - (High Hopes) - Life is Sweet - Naked - Secrets & Lies - Career Girls - Topsy-Turvy - Vera Drake - Happy-Go-Lucky - Another Year - Mr. Turner

© thevoid99 2011

Naked (Expanded Criterion DVD Review)

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 8/23/05 w/ Extensive Revisions & Additional Content.

One of Britain's most celebrated and independent directors, Mike Leigh has made most of his films surrounding the working class and their dysfunctions around the world. Starting out with small features for BBC and for British cinema, Leigh's early films contained mostly dramatic insights on British, working-class citizens from the early 70s to the 80s. In 1989, Leigh finally gained international recognition with his 1989 drama High Hopes which was a satire of British society in the post-Margaret Thatcher world. 1990's Life is Sweet also showed his dark view of society by having a bulimic woman as his protagonist. Then in 1993, Leigh shook things up even more with a far more controversial film about an unemployed philosopher who embarks on a journey around his surroundings while belittling those who are weaker to him entitled Naked.

Written and directed by Leigh, Naked is a journey of sorts about a disenfranchised man who doesn't have a job but has an intellectual charm as he grabs a car, meets his ex-girlfriend's roommate, and wanders around London talking philosophy and having his way with women. The film is also a commentary on the post-Thatcher society where Britain is still in chaos with its protagonist meandering about everything he can think of while dealing with people in an emotional and mental way. Starring David Thewlis, Katrin Cartlidge, Lesley Sharp, Greg Cruttwell, Claire Skinner, Ewen Bremner, Gina McKee, and Susan Vidler. Naked is a brutal, harrowing journey that questions the moralities of the world through its troubling protagonist.

After raping a woman and stealing a car, Johnny (David Thewlis) drives from Manchester to London to meet up with his ex-girlfriend Louise (Lesley Sharp). Arriving at her flat, Johnny meets Louise's roommate Sophie (Katrin Cartlidge) where they befriend each other as they wait for Louise who isn't happy to see Johnny. While Sophie enjoys having Johnny around, Louise isn't sure though he isn't a totally bad guy in comparison to their brutish landlord Jeremy (Greg Cruttwell). After Sophie gets too close, Johnny leaves to venture around London as he encounters various people including an angry Scot named Archie (Ewen Bremner) and his girlfriend Maggie (Susan Vidler).

With Johnny's encounters with various people having go into existential and spiritual discussions as he converses with a nightwatchman named Brian (Peter Wight). The two men see a woman (Deborah MacLaren) where Johnny has sex with her as she struggles with her fading looks. Johnny continues to wander around London as he flirts with a depressed waitress (Gina McKee) and harass a chauffeur (Robert Putt) while going into various discussions about everything and anything. Back at Louise's flat, Jeremy pretending to be another man asks Sophie about another roommate named Sandra (Claire Skinner). Sophie's encounter with Jeremy proves to be horrifying as he's already harassed a masseuse (Carolina Giametta) and raped a waitress (Elizabeth Berrington).

When Louise returns home to see Jeremy, she and Sophie wait for Johnny to return only to see him beaten and battered. With Sophie more intent to cling onto Johnny, Louise deals with Jeremy while awaiting Sandra's return.

When watching a film like this right in front of you, do not expect to have any likeable or happy-like moments. Leigh's aim for the film is simply to convey a brutality driven by bleakness and the question of existence. In some ways, the film is also like The Odyssey by Homer, which was referenced in the film, since it's about a man's journey through London in trying to find answers about humanity while challenging those with his view of the world. It's not a film to watch at first viewing but it does leave the viewers talking. The film's treatment of women will definitely be something that many of its female viewers will be offended by but Leigh isn't being sexist since some of his characters are heroines. The treatment on women from the viewpoint of Johnny and Jeremy. Johnny may be abusive but he actually listens to women and comforts them with his charm and wit. Jeremy though is a full-on misogynist who takes carnal pleasure in abusing women.

Leigh's been known for making a film, getting his actors together, and not bringing in a script leaving actors to improvise. That improvisation seems to work where the actors have a sense of themselves in what they want to do for the character while remaining true to the story. The film has several themes to pin-point on whether it's about the existence of humanity and conformity which is something Johnny wants to rebel against since he doesn't want to live by society's rules. The film may have a bleak outlook on the world and humanity, particularly in post-Thatcher Britain but Leigh chooses to try to find some glimmer of hope in the eyes of one man.

Leigh's improvisational writing and viewpoints that is in his script plays to his directing style since he aims for a gritty, brutal approach that makes the audience uncomfortable. Leigh is definitely confrontational in his directing style and his choices of locations for London and Manchester is inspiring for the fact that he refuses to show any kinds of landmarks and famed streets. Instead, Lee goes for the nitty-gritty by showing depressing places and dirty streets. It's really a film of the streets. Helping Lee capture that vision is his longtime cinematographer Dick Pope who brings a grainy, natural quality to the film without any kind of artificial light or anything glossy. Pope chooses to shoot London as it is as if the audience is there which is very colorless and very gray.

Helping the film in its interior looks of the apartments are production designers Alison Chitty and Steven Jones-Evans and art director Eve Stewart who decorate the film with such things for the characters whether it's the Greek statues or the anatomy posters for Sandra. Costume designer Lindy Hemming also shines for his drab, ordinary clothing for most of the cast but a Goth-punk like look for Sophie, and all black, trench-coat style look for Jeremy that is a precursor to what he would do with Batsuit in Batman Begins. Editor Jon Gregory manages to pull in a tight, leisurely-paced editing style to the film that makes the 130-minute feature seem to go with ease where Leigh's direction helps draw the audience into what's going on. The musical score of Andrew Dickson also captures the bleakness of its melancholia with its piano and harrowing string arrangements.

The film's large cast is wonderfully inspiring, especially if they're in a Mike Leigh film where they're given freedom to put themselves in characters. With such small stand out roles from Carolina Giammetta and Elizabeth Berrington as the women who are harassed by Jeremy to the roles of Darren Tunstall and Robert Putt as the working men that Johnny annoys. There is a wonderful moment in those performances including memorable ones from Ewen Bremner and Susan Vidler as the Scottish couple who are so dirty and misled, it's no wonder that Johnny takes pity on them though Bremner is more memorable for his twitch. Deborah MacLaren is excellent in her performance as the woman in the window who is desperately trying to relive her youth in a very powerful performance. Gina McKee is also amazing as the depressed cafe` waitress who is very sad by her loneliness as she is one of the rare women Johnny seems to take pity on without being abusive.

Peter Wight gives a memorable and excellent supporting performance as Brian, a morally night-watchman who listens to Johnny but is still convinced that there is more out there than Johnny's bleak view of the world. Wight makes his character more than just another of Johnny's intellectual conquest since he knows that Johnny has some great insight but he is really the shining light that Johnny doesn’t want to believe. Leigh regular Claire Skinner is excellent in her brief appearance as the uptight Sandra who couldn't believe in the state of things as she arrives in the final act of the film. Skinner's brief appearance is memorable for the fact that she is different from Louise and Sophie in terms of responsibility. Greg Cruttwell is wonderfully nasty and vile as Jeremy with his hatred towards women and his control in a performance that audiences will love to hate. Cruttwell brings in every ounce of disgust and obscene behavior that it's very convincing in a very disturbing performance.

The late Katrin Cartlidge is amazing as the aloof, stoned, desperate Sophie who seems to find the answer in her relationship with Johnny despite his flaws. Yet when Johnny leaves and she is forced to deal with Jeremy, she realizes her vulnerability and her own regrets into her lifestyle as she depends more and more on Johnny in a performance that is amazing for the gifted actress who is sorely missed. Lesley Sharp is really the film’s strongest female performance as Johnny's ex-girlfriend who doesn't really like having him around yet she knows of his good qualities. Sharp holds her own in nearly every scene, especially around Cruttwell who tries to have his way with her but she gives a fearless confrontational performance as the rare heroine that is needed in the film.

Finally, there's David Thewlis in probably his best performance yet as the comical, intelligent, and sleazy Johnny. Thewlis uses his quick-wit and charming demeanor to win the audience over despite some of his abusive actions. Thewlis shines in every moment of the film as a man trying to discover the idea of existence while challenging the idea of why humanity is cease to be. There is never a dull moment in Thewlis' performance nor from the things he says since he says them in a profound, intelligent way. His scenes with the women in the film show the man in a rare form of sweetness despite the fact that he can be rough as he proves that by all means, he's not a good man but he’s not a bad one either. He's just a man as Thewlis brings balance to that kind of character.

***Additional Content Written from 7/30/11-8/5/11***

The 2005 2-disc Region 1 DVD (1-disc 2011 Blu-Ray) presents the film in its theatrical 1:85:1 widescreen aspect ratio plus Dolby Digital Stereo sound as part of a newly restored high-definition digital transfer that is supervised by its writer/director Mike Leigh. The first disc features the film plus English subtitles for the hearing impaired and its original theatrical trailer. The first disc also includes a feature-length audio commentary track from Leigh and actors David Thewlis and Katrin Cartlidge recorded back in 1994 when the film was released on laserdisc.

The commentary has Leigh talking about the film and his approach to directing and improvisation since he doesn’t really write any scripts. With Cartlidge joining him in some of the commentary, they talk about the film’s accusation of misogyny which as Cartlidge defends Leigh claiming that the critics who made those accusations are missing the point. Thewlis, on a separate recorded commentary, talks about Leigh’s approach to directing actors along with the fact that the film was largely shot on location. Notably as Thewlis said that trying to come up with things in the performance was hard as Leigh admits to shooting 26 takes of a key scene of Thewlis and Peter Wight having a conversation just so he can find the right tone.

Leigh also talks about why he opened the film with a rape scene which was to get people an idea of what character they would meet. Yet, that is eventually challenged by the Jeremy character as a way for people to find the good in Johnny as opposed to Jeremy. Leigh reveals that Greg Cruttwell, who plays Jeremy, is nothing like the character he plays as was really the nicest person on set. Cartlidge reveals that a lot of biographical information was made for the characters but Leigh chose not to reveal too much so the audience can interpret while Thewlis reveals that a lot of scenes were cut because of length reasons. The overall commentary is very informative and engaging about the film and Leigh’s unique approach to directing.

The second disc of the DVD features an array of special features relating to the film. The first is a twelve-minute interview with filmmaker Neil LaBute on the film. LaBute discusses the film’s themes as well as a couple of key characters in the film such as Johnny and Louise. LaBute reveals that the film is partially about isolation in a world where things don’t make much sense anymore as Johnny is a character who likes to shake things up. LaBute also talks about Mike Leigh’s approach along with the accusations critics have of Leigh being misogynistic which LaBute believes is untrue. It’s a very enjoyable yet relaxed interview from LaBute that really dwells into the brilliance of Naked.

The second featurette is a 30-minute excerpt from the British TV show The Art Zone where author Will Self interviews Mike Leigh about his filmmaking methods at Leigh‘s favorite pub in London. Leigh talks about parts of his career while Self opens the segment with his fascination towards Leigh’s work, particularly Naked. Leigh discusses the way he collaborates his actors where they discuss about trying to find the characters in the film so the actors can get a chance to figure out how to approach their role and make it their own. Leigh also refutes the accusations as a misogynist by stating that the women he work with are far tougher feminists than the ones who claim he’s misogynist. It’s a pretty compelling piece that is interesting though lags at time as it’s a great piece for any hardcore fan of Mike Leigh.

The last big special feature is a 17-minute short film entitled The Short and Curlies that stars David Thewlis and Alison Steadman. It’s the story about a drugstore clerk who falls for a young man as she talks to a chatty hairdresser who is dealing with her depressed daughter. It’s a very charming short with elements of humor with Steadman as the hairdresser and Thewlis as the young man who often spouts jokes. The short also includes a feature-length commentary track from Leigh where he talks about the short and performances. Most notably about the fact that it was Leigh’s first 35mm film since 1971’s Bleak Moments which would make him return to feature films. It’s a wonderfully witty commentary on Leigh who talks about the production and his emphasis into making this great short.

The DVD set includes a booklet that features two different essays about the film. The first is Desperate Days by British film critic David Malcolm. Malcolm talks about the film’s brilliance as well as the complexity of the characters in the dreary setting the film is in. Malcolm also talks about the fact that Leigh is critical to both men and women in this film while also being sympathetic to some of those characters with the exception of Jeremy. Malcolm’s essay is truly intriguing over the film that he believes is one of the best films to come out of Britain.

The second is essay entitled The Monster We Know from New York City film critic Amy Taubin. Taubin’s essay is about the film’s supposed misogyny which she believes is false as she focuses on Johnny and his behavior towards women which she thinks is much more complex. She also talks about Jeremy who is much more brutal and comes from a very different world from Johnny as Taubin’s essay is very compelling about the film’s study of men and their flaws. The overall work on the DVD is phenomenal as is it something that fans of Leigh should own.

***End of DVD Tidbits***

Naked is a brutal, confrontational, yet intelligently viable masterpiece from Mike Leigh led by David Thewlis' worldly performance. It is among one of Leigh's best films as well as his most confrontational about society and alienation. Still, this is not a film that is easy to watch but with repeated viewing, it becomes more understanding. Though many may not agree with the actions of the protagonists or Leigh's existential views, it is one of the most profound and powerful films of British cinema.

Mike Leigh Films: (Bleak Moments) - (Hard Labour) - (The Permissive Society) - (Knock for Knock) - (Nuts in May) - (Abigail's Party) - (Kiss of Death) - (Who's Who) - (Grown-Ups) - (Home Sweet Home) - (Meantime) - (Four Days in July) - (High Hopes) - Life is Sweet - Secrets & Lies - Career Girls - Topsy-Turvy - All or Nothing - Vera Drake - Happy-Go-Lucky - Another Year - Mr. Turner

(C) thevoid99 2011

Another Year

2008’s Happy-Go-Lucky was a surprise hit with audiences and critics as its writer/director Mike Leigh scored another hit film while giving its star Sally Hawkins a true breakout role. The film was also surprising for fans of Leigh as it was his most optimistic and upbeat film of his career. Sadly, it would be Leigh’s last film with longtime producer Simon Channing-Williams who died at age 63 in 2009 after a long battle with cancer. Leigh paid tribute to his late colleague and friend as he moved forward with a project about life in general with Another Year.

Written and directed by Mike Leigh, Another Year tells the story of a married couple whose blissful life is mired by the unhappiness around their friends as they help them out. Featuring many of Leigh’s improvisational style and exploration of all of the quirks about life. It’s a film that dabbles into many themes while finding some sort of solution about the way the world works. With an all-star cast that includes such Leigh regulars as Lesley Manville, Jim Broadbent, Ruth Sheen, Peter Wight, Philip Davis, and Imelda Staunton plus appearances from David Bradley and Oliver Maltman. Another Year is a charming yet touching film from Mike Leigh.

It’s springtime as Geri (Ruth Sheen) is helping a woman named Janet (Imelda Staunton) deal with her insomnia. Geri is a counselor who works with a doctor named Tanya (Michele Austin) and a secretary named Mary (Lesley Manville). Geri’s been happily married to Tom (Jim Broadbent) who works as a geologist. Whenever they’re not working or at home, Tom and Geri do a lot of time tending to their large garden filled their own fruits and vegetables. Mary often hangs out with Tom and Geri as she is looking for love while would get herself drunk every once in a while pondering about her lack of a strong love life.

While Ruth and Geri often invite Mary to their world, they also get visits from their son Joe (Oliver Maltman) who is also trying to find love as he often helps out with their garden. It’s summertime as a friend named Ken (Peter Wight) visits who is despondent over his age and other issues as he hangs out with Tom and Geri. A barbeque party is held with Ken, Mary, Tanya, Joe, and another friend named Jack (Philip Davis) as they’re all having fun while Tanya unveils her new baby boy. During the party, Mary reveals that she bought a new car as she also flirts with Joe as she asks they would meet again for a drink.

It’s autumn as Joe makes a surprise visit to see his parents as he unveils a new girlfriend named Katie (Karina Fernandez) where they all have lunch and dinner. During the dinner, Mary arrives to hang out with Tom and Geri only to learn about Katie. The dinner goes smooth but leaves Mary upset as she would later make another visit in the winter. Tom, Geri, and Joe however, go to meet Tom’s brother Ronnie (David Bradley) for some devastating family news that is worsened by the visit of Ronnie’s son Carl (Martin Savage). Mary’s visit to Tom and Geri’s home has her realizing how much trouble she is though it’s just another moment for Tom and Geri.

The film is about a couple who help out their friends and family in the time of need through the span of four seasons. Yet, the one friend who is in constant need of help is a woman named Mary, a 40ish secretary who likes to drink, have fun, and wear youthful clothes in order to be loved. Yet her character goes through the most changes throughout the year as she becomes more desperate and fragile. Through it all, it’s Tom and Geri that provide safety and love not just to her but to the people involved.

It’s really a film about good people who are there for those in need of comfort. Notably in the winter section when Tom and Geri with Joe visit Ronnie who is need of comfort. Though Ronnie doesn’t speak very much over what he had just been through, it is Tom and Geri that offer him a place to stay for a while. When their friend Ken is going through tough times, Tom takes him out to play golf with Joe and Jack just to cheer him up. Mike Leigh’s approach to the story is definitely well-structured in four parts as he gets the chance to create mood changes for each season. Even in creating characters that are lively and interesting to watch.

Leigh’s direction is definitely marvelous to watch in the way he creates a mood for each season. While its mostly straightforward, Leigh’s still yet moody compositions remains intoxicating to watch. Even as it has an air of theatricality in the way he shoots actors from where they’re standing to creating wonderful close-ups that explores the mood of the characters. Leigh underplays the drama while opening the film with a bitter woman wanting sleeping pills so she can sleep. While it’s mostly a dramatic, melancholic film, Leigh allows lots of humor into the mix so that the audience can get to know the characters and maybe want to hang out with them. The overall result in Leigh’s work is proof that is one of Britain’s great living directors working today.

Leigh’s longtime cinematographer Dick Pope does a wonderful job with the different array of color schemes for the film’s seasons. With the more colorful, brighter look of the spring and summer for the first half of the film including dabbles of rain. Pope also uses darker palettes for the autumn and winter scenes in the second half as it helps plays to the film’s emotional tone. Pope’s work is superb as it is definitely one of the film’s technical highlights.

Editor Jon Gregory does an excellent job with the film’s editing in presenting the film with a straightforward approach while adding bits of style to maintain a nice rhythm to the film. Even in letting each season fade to black to end and open the next season. Production designer Simon Beresford, along with set decorator Sophia Chowdhury and art director Andrew Rothschild, do a very good job with the film‘s set design from the comfortable home that Tom and Geri lives in to the tiny, decayed shack that they sit in at their large garden. Costume designer Jacqueline Durran also does a very good job with the film‘s costumes from the hippie-like clothes that Geri wears to the more casual stuff everyone else wears while the character of Mary wears clothes that represents her longing to be youthful.

Sound recordist Tim Fraser and sound editor Nigel Stone do some fine work in the sound work by capturing natural sounds to convey the energy and feel of the scene along with some crazier scenes involving traffic and trains. Music composer Gary Yershon brings a lovely yet plaintive score that plays to the film’s melancholia played with a harp as it helps introduce a new season or to play up to the dramatic elements of the film.

Casting director Nina Gold does a superb job in assembling a great cast for the film as part of what makes Mike Leigh’s films so fascinating is in the casting. Appearances from Leigh regulars such as Philip Davis as Jack, Michele Austin as Tanya, Martin Savage as Carl, and Imelda Staunton in a small but memorable appearance as Janet, an insomniac in the opening scene of the film. Other notable appearances include David Bradley as Tom’s laconic yet shell-shocked brother Ronnie and Karina Fernandez as Joe’s new, upbeat girlfriend Katie. Peter Wight is excellent as Ken, an old friend of Tom who has fallen on hard times as he seeks comfort in his friends while he carries a torch for Mary. Oliver Maltman is very good as Joe, Tom and Geri’s son who is there for his parents while trying to find love as well. Maltman’s performance is fun to watch as an adult-son who has all of the good qualities that he’s inherited from his parents.

Ruth Sheen is great as Geri, a no-nonsense but caring woman whose job is to help people sort out their situations. Even as she possesses a maternal warmth that people needed as she provides whatever they need for comfort as Sheen’s performance is marvelous. Jim Broadbent is phenomenal as Tom, a kind-hearted man with an eccentric behavior who also provides the things his friends need. Broadbent’s whimsical yet charming performance is one of the most uplifting and witty performances he has done as it proves why he’s one of the great actors working today.

Finally, there’s Lesley Manville in an amazing performance as Mary. A lovely but fragile woman desperate to find love as she drinks her sorrows while hoping to nab the much younger Joe. Manville’s performance is wonderful to watch as she starts out as this vibrant though flakey woman who often forgets things. To then descend into someone really desperate as Manville doesn’t overplay the drama by remaining still as she allows her character to gain sympathy for who she is. It’s definitely one of the best performances of 2010 as Manville’s work is just startling to watch.

Another Year is a wonderful yet mesmerizing film from Mike Leigh and company. Led by an amazing ensemble cast including Lesley Manville, Jim Broadbent, and Ruth Sheen. It’s a film that fans of Mike Leigh will enjoy about all of the ups and downs of life. Fans of great yet unconventional dramas will find something surprisingly uplifting in a melancholic film that reveals the goodness of people and why its important to have friends. It’s also another amazing film from Mike Leigh who adds another great film to his amazing filmography. In the end, Another Year is a superb yet engrossing film from the great Mike Leigh.

Mike Leigh Films: (Bleak Moments) - (Hard Labour) (The Permissive Society) - (Knock for Knock) - (Nuts in May) - (Abigail’s Party) - (Kiss of Death) - (Who’s Who) - (Grown-Ups) - (Home Sweet Home) - (Meantime) - (Four Days in July) - (High Hopes) - Life is Sweet - Naked - Secrets & Lies - Career Girls - Topsy-Turvy - All or Nothing - Vera Drake - Happy-Go-Lucky - Mr. Turner

© thevoid99 2011

Happy-Go-Lucky

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 10/7/09.

Following the success of 2004's Vera Drake, Mike Leigh achieved more acclaim as he earned a Golden Lion for the film as well as a Best Director nod from the Academy Awards. Leigh took a break from films to work on a play called Two Thousand Years in 2005 only to return in 2008 with a new film. The project was a departure of sorts from Leigh's own heavy-dramatic features for something more light-hearted and humorous. The new film told the story of an optimistic schoolteacher who brings happiness to the people she encounters in Happy-Go-Lucky.

Written and directed by Mike Leigh, Happy-Go-Lucky tells the story of a primary schoolteacher who is single and lives with a flatmate/fellow teacher. When her bike is stolen, she takes driving lessons as she annoys an angry driving instructor while taking flamenco lessons with a troubled dance instructor. In turn, she decides to make people's lives better while being cheerfully optimistic for her own life. A film that is a change of pace of sorts from Leigh's own dramatic-driven work. The film also revels in Leigh's sense of humor. Starring Leigh regulars Sally Hawkins, Eddie Marsan, and Alexis Zegerman plus Sylvestra Le Touzel, Caroline Martin, and Samuel Roukin. Happy-Go-Lucky is a witty, delightful, and charming film from Mike Leigh and company.

Pauline "Poppy" Cross (Sally Hawkins) is a primary school teacher in London who likes to teach kids by day while doing all sorts of fun things afterwards. In the weekends, she goes clubbing with her flatmate Zoe (Alexis Zegerman) and other friends including Poppy's younger sister Suzy (Kate O'Flynn). After losing her bike one day during a trip to the book store, Poppy decides to get a driver's license for the very first time. Being her instructor is Scott (Eddie Marsan) who is annoyed by Poppy's upbeat personality as he is a very cynical  man who doesn't like to conform.

After hurting her back from a trampoline class, Poppy decides to take a chance in getting flamenco lessons with her co-worker Heather (Sylvestra Le Touzel) from school. The first lesson has Poppy amused but the teacher is dealing with other problems due to a boyfriend who left her for a younger woman. Poppy continues her driving lessons much to Scott's annoyance about everything as she also takes notices of one of her young students named Nick who is starting to become a bully. After talking to Heather about Nick, a social worker named Tim (Samuel Roukin) comes in to help where he later asks Poppy out for a date.

Poppy and Suzy decide to go see their pregnant sister Helen (Caroline Martin) with Zoe as Helen wonders about Poppy's cheerful personality and her take on reality. The event has Helen upset as she, Suzy, and Zoe return home where Poppy caught a glimpse of Scott around her neighborhood. After a date with Tim that went well, Poppy has another lesson with Scott that turns sour due to Scott's troubled behavior where Poppy has a realization about him and herself.

The film is about a woman who is upbeat and full of life just trying to make everyone else happy when they're feeling down. While someone like that might seem annoying, the film's auteur Mike Leigh doesn't make the character of Poppy into some caricature or presence that will annoy people. Instead, Poppy is a person that is just trying to make things a little bit better for people around her while having fun at the same time. Though there's moments where people question about her happiness including herself. Through it all, she remains upbeat and optimistic as Leigh's approach to storytelling is fascinating. Though Leigh is famous for not writing a script and just making things up as he goes along with his actors. There's a liveliness to the storytelling as he lets things move quite leisurely as it revolves around Poppy in the weeks in her life as she had just turned 30.

Leigh's direction is straightforward but also stylish in the way he opens the film during the opening credits with split shots and such. There's an exuberance to how he directs a scene when it's lively but also maintains an observant feel in the scenes involving Poppy and Scott. While there's a possibility that Scott might be pining for Poppy, Leigh lets the audience interpret their own opinions instead revealing things. At the same time, Leigh lets the actors play off of each other while making sure the story is there as every scene is important. Including a strange scene where Poppy encounters a homeless man whom she tries to cheer up which would serve as a plot point to her own attempts to cheer people up. Leigh's direction overall is fascinating and whimsical as he creates a solid, upbeat film that doesn't get boring.

Leigh's longtime cinematographer Dick Pope brings a colorful look to the film to match up with the cheerful personality of Poppy. Shot on location in London and parts of the English suburb, it's all shot in mostly sunny exteriors in London in parks, bridges, and the streets of London. The interiors are also colorful, notably Poppy's flat and her classroom which is lively as Pope's work is excellent for the most part. Editor Jim Clark does solid work with the editing from the opening split-shot screens in the opening credits to side-wipe edits in a scene of how Zoe and Poppy teach their class room. Clark's work in the editing moves the film quite leisurely while playing to the upbeat personality of the film's protagonist.

Production designer Mark Tildesley plus set decorator Michelle Day and art directors Patrick Rolfe and Denis Schnegg do nice work with the look of the flat that Poppy and Zoe made while doing some wonderful work in the bag masks that Poppy's students wear as her classroom is filled with vibrant colors and a cheerful personality. Costume designer Jacqueline Durran does an amazing job with the costumes, notably the clothes Poppy wears which are colorful from her hippie-like dresses, vibrant shirts, and big high-heeled boots that she wears that annoys Scott. Leigh's longtime sound recordist Tim Fraser with sound editor Nigel Stone do fine work with the sound from the atmosphere of a club scene to the sound of cars moving during the driving lesson scenes. Music composer Gary Yershon does excellent work with the film's score often driven by flutes and strings to play with the film's cheerful personality. Even as it maintains a subtle, melodic presentation in its arrangements.

The casting by Nina Gold is superb from its array of actors playing small roles from Andrea Riseborough, Sinead Matthews, and Sarah Niles as friends of Poppy, Karina Fernandez as the flamenco teacher, Stanley Townshend as the tramp Poppy encounters, and Jack MacGeachin as the boy Poppy tried to help over his bullying. Other notable small but memorable roles come from Oliver Maltman as Helen's husband, Caroline Martin as Poppy's sister Helen, and Sylvestra Le Touzel as Poppy's fellow teacher Heather who invites her to flamenco lessons. Kate O'Flynn is very good as Poppy's younger, annoyed sister while Samuel Roukin is really good as Tim, the social worker Poppy befriends. Alexis Zegerman is excellent as Zoe, Poppy's flatmate who accepts Poppy's personality though often tries to ground her a bit on reality while showing frustrations about kids wanting to play video games instead of going outside.

Eddie Marsan is great as Scott, Poppy's driving instructor who is filled with frustration over Poppy's personality as well as things in the world. Marsan's performance is a marvel to watch as a man just trying to deal with everything only to blow up where Marsan finally gets to show his vulnerability despite his cynical personality. Finally, there's Sally Hawkins in a break-out performance that would win her the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Comedy. Hawkins' cheerful, witty performance is full of life and humor while smiling throughout the film as she is someone who can make the audience smile while being a real person who knows what to do when someone is in trouble. Even if it's a small gesture of gratitude. Hawkins' performance is the heart of the film as she has great rapport with the cast, notably Marsan where she has her best scenes with him.

While it may not reach the dramatic heights of films like Naked, Secret & Lies, and Vera Drake, Happy-Go-Lucky is still a marvelous, charming film from Mike Leigh and company thanks to Sally Hawkins' delightful performance. Fans of Leigh will be taken aback at first in the change of tone from his previous films but will relieved that his approach to storytelling hasn't changed very much. For audiences needing something upbeat but with a bit of realism will find this film enjoyable but also something to smile at. Happy-Go-Lucky is an overall cheerful, witty comedy from Mike Leigh that delivers in what it sets out to do for the audience and that is to be happy.

Mike Leigh Films: (Bleak Moments) - (Hard Labour) - (The Permissive Society) - (Knock for Knock) - (Nuts in May) - (Abigail's Party) - (Kiss of Death) - (Who's Who) - (Grown-Ups) - (Home Sweet Home) - (Meantime) - (Four Days in July) - (High Hopes) Life is Sweet - Naked - Secrets & Lies - Career Girls - Topsy-Turvy - All or Nothing - Vera Drake - Another Year - Mr. Turner

(C) thevoid99 2011

Vera Drake

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 9/29/09.

2002's All or Nothing about working class families drew excellent reviews with most critics and audiences but some felt that the film's writer/director Mike Leigh created a film that was too depressing. Despite the criticism towards the film, Leigh moved ahead to another project that would be set in the 1950s about a woman performing illegal abortions for working class women as she would find herself getting in trouble with the law. The film would ultimately be one of Leigh's finest films entitled Vera Drake.

Written and directed by Mike Leigh, Vera Drake tells the story of a woman from a working class family who performs illegal abortions for women around her working class neighborhood. When something goes wrong, she is caught as she is questioned about doing the right thing. Playing the title role is Imelda Staunton, then a renowned and acclaimed supporting/character actress, in a rare leading role that would bring her much attention and acclaim. Also starring Phillip Davis, Ruth Sheen, Daniel Mays, Alex Kelly, Eddie Marsan, Sally Hawkins, and Jim Broadbent. Vera Drake is a harrowing yet powerful period-drama from Mike Leigh and company.

It's 1950 as Vera Drake works cleaning houses for the upper class while her husband Stan (Phillip Davis) works at an auto shop with his brother Frank (Adrian Scarborough). Vera and Stan's children also work as their son Sid (Daniel Mays) works for a tailor selling suits while Ethel (Alex Kelly) works at a factory. The family maintains a close bond as Vera also keeps track of the people she help out like George (Richard Graham) who is ill while inviting a young name Reg (Eddie Marsan) to dinner. The dinner turns out well as Reg and the shy Ethel start to date. What the family doesn't know is that the good-hearted Vera also helps young women in performing illegal abortions though she doesn't call them abortions.

Helping Vera out in giving assignments is her friend Lily (Ruth Sheen) as she takes payment from young women without telling Vera. Instead, she gives Vera things like sugar and such for a small fee. While Vera performs illegal abortions to working-class women, a young rich girl named Sarah (Sally Hawkins) was raped as she turns to a friend for help. Sarah talks to a psychiatrist (Allan Corunder) for help where she gets a private abortion that is performed. When Vera performs an abortion for a young woman (Liz White), the woman later becomes ill as her mother (Lesley Sharp) is forced to reveal secrets. The Drake family including Frank's wife Joyce (Heather Craney) decide to make a family celebration, an investigator (Peter Wight) appears to ask questions about Vera as she knows what it is about.

The film can be described as a drama about a woman who believes she does good thing and at heart, she is a good person. She helps out people and doesn't ask much in return. Whether it's her mother (Sandra Voe), a neighbor, or anyone. Even the rich people she works for seem gracious to her. Yet, she has a secret which is horrifying but she takes it in stride and maintains an upbeat persona. When she is caught, her world is shattered as well as the close bond of her family. Yet, the film is a character study of a woman who believes she is doing good things though what she is doing is wrong. At the same time, there's a little subplot about how rich women deal with abortions.

Mike Leigh's screenplay (or lack thereof) definitely reveals how abortions were performed and what working-class women had to do in order to get abortions performed along with insight of what rich women do. The script also goes into detail of the strong family bond and how they support each other where each character is given a chance for the audience to know about them. The film starts off in an upbeat tone throughout its first two acts but then comes this harrowing third act that shatters the upbeat tone of the film as it becomes devastating. Then comes this debate about the act of illegal abortions of whether what Vera did was right or wrong. Yet, the focus is more on her family and how they have to deal with it.

Leigh's direction is truly fascinating in terms of its dramatic staging, setting up a tone, and putting in a subplot without taking focus away from the film's subject and protagonist. Even in scenes where he creates simple shots for certain locations where there's a simplicity to his presentation. It's intimate, theatrical, yet engaging in what Leigh is doing with the camera and scenery. The dramatic tension of the film in the third act is presented with subtlety but also a heaviness that is expected but in a visceral way. The overall approach of Leigh's direction and how he presented each scene whether it's a moment of humor or a dramatic moment. He creates a film that is truly powerful while taking on a subject matter about abortion without taking on either sides.

Leigh's longtime cinematographer Dick Pope does brilliant work with the film's cinematography with low colors to help represent the dreary look of early 1950s England. With exteriors filled with light blue, gray, dark green colors depending on the tone of the scene and what's happening. Pope's work in the interior scenes is exquisite with a slew of colors for whatever scene that's happening. Whether its lighter colors for the posh scenes or the dark yet cheerful tone for the home of the Drake family. Pope's camera work is truly phenomenal in creating an atmosphere for the film and its period setting.

Editor Jim Clark does excellent work with the editing, notably in the rhythm of the dramatic tension and scenes involving objects. Clark's methodical pacing for the film works very well in terms of its structuring as well as setting a tone for what will happen in the third act. Production designer Eve Stewart with set decorator John Bush and art directors Andrew Grant and Ed Walsh do fantastic work with the design of the homes and places that Vera goes to from the posh homes that she works for to the home that she lives. Yet, the places in the film also play to the different class structure as Vera's sister-in-law lives in a middle class suburb with her husband as the art direction overall is brilliant. Costume designer Jacqueline Durran does exquisite work with the costume design in creating nice period clothing for all the actors and actresses involved including the green coat that Vera wears to the rich clothing that Sarah and her peers wear.

Sound editor Nigel Stone and recordist Tim Fraser do very good work with the sound, notably the atmosphere of 1950s London in its exteriors plus the harrowing sounds of the police station and courtroom scenes in the third act. Music composer Andrew Dickson creates a plaintive yet heavy score with orchestral arrangements that plays to the myriad of emotions that goes on in the film without being overdrawn or underplaying the scene. Dickson's score is excellent in its subtlety as it is one of the film's technical highlights.

The casting by Nina Gold is superb as it features cameos from some of Leigh's repertoire of regulars including Allan Corunder as a psychiatrist, Leslie Manville as Susan's mother, Lesley Sharp as the mother of a young woman who got ill from an abortion, and Jim Broadbent as a judge. In the roles of the women who get abortions from Vera are Sinead Matthews, Tilly Vosburgh, Vinette Robinson, and Liz White as the woman who gets sick. Other notable small roles include Nicholas Jones as a defense attorney, Paul Jesson as a magistrate, Martin Savage as a detective, Richard Graham as a sick neighbor of Vera, and Sandra Voe as Vera's mother. Peter Wight is excellent as a sympathetic investigator while Heather Craney is very good as Vera's sister-in-law who would become indifferent to her after what happened.

Alex Kelly is very good as Vera's shy daughter Ethel while Daniel Mays is great as Vera's son Sid as they both try to come to terms with what happened. Eddie Marsan is really good as Reg, a neighbor who becomes Ethel's new boyfriend as he manages to have a great moment through simple dialogue in a key scene in the third act. Sally Hawkins is also good as Sarah, a young rich woman who gets raped as she tries to get an abortion through her own world. Ruth Sheen is excellent as Lily, Vera's friend who makes money off of the illegal abortions while making rules of what to do while being a generous friend to Vera. Adrian Scarborough is really good as Frank, Stan's brother who has a loyalty to Vera as she helped him grow up through the years. Phillip Davis is superb as Stan, Vera's loving husband who is devoted to her. Even as he discovers her secret while having a say about what the family should do in the midst of all that has happened.

Finally, there's Imelda Staunton in what is truly a radiant performance for the veteran British actress in the title role. Staunton's cheerful, winning smile in the film's first two acts is filled with a joyful presence while making her likeable enough despite what she's doing illegally. At the same time, there's a sense of warmth that is comforting to watch until when she is caught. She loses all of that and she becomes this fragile being forced to lose things including herself. Yet, Staunton remains a powerful presence as she remains quiet and maintaining her dignity despite her attempts to overcome her emotions. It's truly a mesmerizing performance for the British actress.

Released in the fall of 2004, the film was a major hit at the Venice Film Festival winning two prestigious prizes including a Best Actress Volpi Cup prize to Staunton and the Golden Lion to Mike Leigh. The film would garner several accolades including 3 Academy Award nominations for Best Director and Original Screenplay for Leigh and Best Actress for Staunton. The film would win 3 British Academy Awards which included Best Actress for Staunton, Best Director to Leigh, and Best Costume design along with nominations for Best Picture, Supporting Actor & Actress, & Best British Film.

Vera Drake is a powerful, harrowing, yet entrancing film from Mike Leigh and company which includes a powerful performance from Imelda Staunton. The film is no doubt one of Leigh's best among such classics as Naked and Secret & Lies as Leigh fans will certainly enjoy it. Audiences who are into great acting, dramatic staging, and strong subject matters will no doubt enjoy this though it's not a film for everyone. In the end, Vera Drake is one of the best British films to come out of this decade as well as one of Mike Leigh's most enduring films of his acclaimed career.

Mike Leigh Films: (Bleak Moments) - (Hard Labour) - (The Permissive Society) - (Knock for Knock) - (Nuts in May) - (Abigail's Party) - (Kiss of Death) - (Who's Who) - (Grown-Ups) - (Home Sweet Home) - (Meantime) - (Four Days in July) - (High Hopes) - Life is Sweet - Naked - Secrets & Lies - Career Girls - Topsy-Turvy - All or Nothing - Happy-Go-Lucky - Another Year - Mr. Turner

(C) thevoid99 2011

Career Girls

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 8/3/05 w/ Additional Edits.

One of Britain's most beloved and respected filmmakers, Mike Leigh has always made films that often surround the dysfunctions of families and individuals in working class surroundings. With films like High Hopes, Life is Sweet, Naked, and his 1996 Palme D'or-winning masterpiece Secret & Lies that gave him his greatest international success including nabbing several Oscar nominations. The success of Secret & Lies expected some of his fans and critics to come up with something more ambitious. Instead, Leigh decides to go back to basics for a low-key affair in a drama about two women reuniting to discuss their own lives today while thinking about their years as college students in Career Girls.

Written and directed by Mike Leigh, Career Girls in comparison to previous and later films is more simplistic in its plot of two women reuniting in London for a weekend to reminisce their college years. In Leigh's approach, he films two different sections of the film. One part set in the mid-1980s during the two women's years in college and the mid-90s as those two women are wiser but still unsure of themselves in what they want. Starring longtime Leigh collaborator Katrin Cartlidge and Lynda Steadman plus Andy Serkis, Kate Byers, Mark Benton, and Joe Tucker. Career Girls is a witty, intelligent, warm film from the always-interesting Mike Leigh.

On her way to London for the weekend to search for a new home, Annie (Lynda Steadman) is ready to meet up with her old college roommate Hannah (Katrin Cartlidge). Annie remembers the day she meets Hannah during an interview for a new roommate while attending North London Polytechnic as a psychology student. Annie was then, shy, nervous, and having a facial rash was accepted by the more aggressive, high-energy Hannah and her roommate Claire (Kate Byers). Annie moves in but is forced to contend with Hannah's confrontational attitude though the two share a love for the books of Emily Bronte and the music of the Cure.

Annie arrives in London to see Hannah, who is now a businesswoman, as the two talk about their days as Hannah seems a bit more calm while Annie is now more confident in her looks yet has a hard time trying to relax. Hannah though is more self-absorbed in her work and rarely has time for romance though Annie had been more successful despite breaking with her recent boyfriend. The two then remembers their days one night as the time Hannah and Annie try to kick out Claire, who rarely does anything in the house only to find themselves kicked out. They ended up living in a smaller apartment in which they shared with one of Annie's fellow psychology students named Ricky (Mark Benton), who is a mentally-challenged but intelligent fellow.

While Ricky makes good company, his outbursts would often lead into heavy discussions with Hannah about politics and morals where her opinions would end up being hurtful as Ricky would be verbally abusive sometimes. Annie remembers that her friendship with Ricky had its moments but was also a mess as one day, she and Hannah tried to find Ricky. Back in present time, Hannah and Annie go apartment-shopping when they find a flat that's owned by a messy man named Mr. Evans (Andy Serkis) that is near a river while it's up high at the floor, something that Annie doesn't like since she hates heights. The meeting was a nightmare because of Mr. Evans' messy rooms and flirtatious attitude as the two women run away. They find another flat that's on the floor where they meet real estates agent Adrian (Joe Tucker).

Annie and Hannah at first don't recognize Adrian until they got a clear look at him though he recognized Hannah but doesn't remember Annie. The two women look back at their relationship with Adrian during the time they stayed in the apartment with Claire. Hannah and Adrian hit it off at first because of their brash, antagonistic attitudes but when Adrian meets Annie, there is more of an attraction there in which, makes Hannah a bit more uneasy. After the disastrous sale, Hannah and Annie talk about Adrian and how they've changed. On the day when Annie is to return home via train, they decide to take a look at their places where they not only see an old friend running in a park but at the place when they last lived together, they meet an old friend which reminded them about their own past and regrets.

While the film doesn't have the heavy melancholia or the dysfunctional dramatics of other films from Mike Leigh. There is a clear idea on who is writing and who is directing it since Leigh does have his own unique ideas on dramas and relationships that has a bit of sadness and humor. From a directing standpoint, Leigh gives the film two different ideas in terms of its look and style since the film is done mostly in non-linear style with the women looking back at those times. Yet the story doesn't lose its place since it's easy to follow along to know where the characters are. There's also an earnest and nostalgic feel to the movie as Leigh seems to harken back to his early days as a filmmaker which is why he went for something more simple as opposed to the more ambitious projects of other films.

Even in the writing, Leigh gives depth all of his characters, notably Hannah and Annie where they have a lot to offer in terms of character development. There's similarities of both women in the past as they're both insecure in some way, they have a love for novels and the Cure, they're intelligent, and they're also flawed in many ways. The Hannah and Annie of the mid-90s are not as different although they have grown. Though they're not as insecure, there's an assurance that they're still struggling to find love or to find some kind of peace while understanding more about themselves and the past. Even in the way they are from their backgrounds, they understand why they're the way they are. It's that kind of writing that makes Mike Leigh one of the more respected and heartfelt auteurs in cinema.

Leigh's longtime cinematographer Dick Pope also helps Leigh in shaping the film in terms of look. While the 1980s sequence of the film has a blueish, grainy look, the mid-90s sequences is more colorful with its rare shots of sunlight. Art director Helen Scott also helps out with the look of the film with costume designer Eve Stewart as the 80s was more messy in its look of black clothes, jeans, and posters on the wall. While the 90s is more clean and glossy. Editor Robin Sales gives the film a nice, plaintive rhythm in its non-linear style while not making it too slow or too fast in its 87-minute running time. The film’s music which includes an original score from Secret & Lies star Marianne Jean-Baptiste and Tony Remy is plaintive in its contemporary, acoustic style while Leigh does a wonderful job in his selections of songs by the Cure that included singles like The Walk, Let's Go To Bed, The Love Cats, Caterpillar, and other rare album cuts that gives the film a nice sign of nostalgia.

The film's small cast that included Kate Byers as the bratty roommate Claire and Joe Tucker as the brash Adrian are well-performed, especially when Tucker is more quiet in the 90s sequence. Pre-Gollum Andy Serkis gives the film's most hilarious performance as the messy man who is willing to sell his apartment while trying to flirt with Hannah and Annie. Mark Benton is brilliant as the intelligent but dysfunctional Ricky who seems to be nice at times but his character is a sad mess since he's struggling with his own illness and his own life as he gives a memorable performance.

Lynda Steadman is a wonderful delight as Annie as she starts out looking a bit like Nicole Kidman with her shiny, short red hair with her troubling, realistic performance of a nervous young woman who lacks self-esteem. Steadman in the present time, her performance is also delightful as she makes her character grow so easily while admitting to some flaws while carrying a sense of innocence and charm. The late Katrin Cartlidge is also amazing as the more aggressive Hannah who is definitely hiding something as she uses her hand to sometimes talk. In the present time, we see Cartlidge be more calm but with a bit of aggression while dealing with her loneliness. The chemistry of Steadman and Cartlidge is amazing to watch, whether they're having a good time together in both sequences while in the 80s, you see Steadman standing her ground to the more aggressive Cartlidge as the two women give amazing, masterful performances.

While the film didn't get the same reaction like Secret & Lies did, the film did get good notices from fans and critics of Leigh who got a nice break. Leigh would continue to push his creativity further in films like Topsy-Turvy, All or Nothing, and more recently, his Oscar-nominated, Vera Drake that won him the Golden Lion at the 2004 Venice Film Festival. While Career Girls is a nice, low-key film from Mike Leigh with the wonderful performances of Lynda Steadman and the late Katrin Cartlidge. It's a decent starting point for audiences new to Leigh though Secret & Lies and Naked are better introductions. Still, Career Girls offer something more than the typical dramas that involve the conventional female buddy films.

Mike Leigh Films: (Bleak Moments) - (Hard Labour) - (The Permissive Society) - (Knock for Knock) - (Nuts in May) - (Abigail's Party) - (Kiss of Death) - (Who's Who) - (Grown-Ups) - (Home Sweet Home) - (Meantime) - (Four Days in July) - (High Hopes) - Life is Sweet - Naked - Secrets & Lies - Topsy-Turvy - All or Nothing - Vera Drake - Happy-Go-Lucky - Another Year - Mr. Turner

(C) thevoid99 2011