Criticker has just switched its front-page focus box onto British filmmaker Mike Leigh, whose new drama Happy-Go-Lucky has just arrived in American theaters.

Mike Leigh will be a familiar name to any movie fan who appreciates intelligent, character-driven dramas. Since the 70s, Leigh’s been writing and directing wonderful films, often in conjunction with Britain’s excellent Channel 4 (the USA needs a Channel 4!) The honest, true-to-life characters are what stand out most in his movies — nobody is a caricature, as he resists painting people as 100% good or evil. His is engaging cinema, worth multiple viewings.

We’ve decided to share Leigh’s top 5 ranked films at Criticker. Did your favorite make the list?

Naked

1. Naked (1993)
2. Secrets & Lies (1996)
3. All or Nothing (2002)
4. Life Is Sweet (1990)
5. Vera Drake (2004)

It must be mentioned that 1973′s critically-acclaimed Hard Labour also got high marks, but very few Criticker users have seen it, so we didn’t include it in this list.