Review: ANOTHER YEAR

ANOTHER YEAR is a quiet and thoughtful film.  If you like to people watch then this is the film for you.  The film is about now and not how or why. There are no car chases, explosions or special effects.  The film is slow to start and in the beginning it is difficult to figure out who the main characters are: people come and go for no apparent reason. The film is a glimpse into the life of Tom (Jim Broadbent) and Geri (Ruth Sheen), a happily married couple, and their friends, co-workers and family.

Tom and Geri are delightful to watch, and the interplay between them is warm and comfortable and it is juxtaposed against the unhappiness of the other characters. Geri works with Mary (Lesley Manville), a middle aged divorcee who is unable to except her age or her status in life.  Ken (Peter Wight), a boyhood friend of Tom’s, is unhappy both professionally and personally.  Friends of Joe (Oliver Maltman), Tom and Geri’s thirty something son, are all getting married and Joe has yet to find someone special. The acting is superb; the awkwardness of the situations that the characters find themselves is beautifully portrayed in their body language and facial expressions. Some situations are resolved in the year while others are left hanging but the film is a gentle reminder that life goes on no matter what. The film is beautiful in its use of the garden as a metaphor for the passing of time. Tom, Geri and company are a welcome visit to a friend’s home.

ANOTHER YEAR was written and directed by Michael Leigh.  Lesley Manville won Best Actress from the National Board of Review USA.  Jim Broadbent was nominated for Best Actor by The British Independent Film Awards, as was Ruth Sheen for Best Actress, Lesley Manville for Best Supporting Actress and Michael Leigh for Best Director.   Another Year is a Landmark Theater exclusive and will be shown at Plaza Frontenac starting February 4.

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars