Magnificent film from Leigh, attempting and succeeding at one of the most difficult tasks for a filmmaker and storyteller: presenting a believable and compelling vision of goodness. Tom and Gerri, devoting themselves to the muck of the world (he a geologist, she a social worker, both avid gardeners), offer a welcoming home to friends in need. Leigh's economy of shots keeps the film engaging as each scene feels crucial. Manville and Broadbent lead the outstanding cast.

Absorbing work that invites a lot of reflection even though the characters are a bit too much like caricatures.

Somber, some fantastic dialogue, and -- like everything Leigh does -- filled with annoyingly cartoonish characters.

Stopped watching after half an hour because it was so boring. Hence an automatic 0 score.

Excelentes actuaciones. Al final se hace tediosa.

It's peppered with meaningless threads that stubbornly refuse to go anywhere, the dialogue is too cringeworthy too often, and for a film that seems to strive for realism, it just rings untrue, staged and hollow; the fact that there's no real conclusion and it's filled with characters who seem designed to be irritating doesn't make it any closer to reality, despite what Leigh might think.

Magnificent.

Surely one of the most realistic in tone dramas I've have seen. The characters feel very believable. So it definitely got the corner stones in place for a true drama. But with its realistic way, its focus on the harshness of living life alone compared to being in a loving relationship, can be quite hard to watch. At least for me it was. As life doesn't feel good for everyone, so is Another Year not a feel good movie, with its objective observation of this fact.

Fantastic acting, especially by Lesley Manville. The actors dissolve into their characters in the passing of a year. Great cinema vérité.

Leigh revisits Happy-Go-Lucky, thankfully this time he focuses on a less irritating character than Poppy. Manville acting is good enough to pull the caricature of miserable old lady through. "You're unhappy, unless you are happy" seems to be the main idea of the film. That is not much, but Leigh is a capable filmmaker and there are a few enjoyable moments. If I ever met someone like Katie in real life and had to spend more than 5 minutes near her I would strangle her with my bare hands.

Great characters played by a skilled cast. A bit too little happened during the course of the movie though.

The characters of Another Year are both believable and relateable. The tone and cinematography help show the change from season to season without the change overtly being waved in our face. My only gripe is that it just isn't the type of movie I prefer. The camera in Another Year is like a window. I, the spectator, is looking through the window and watching reality unfold. This obviously makes the movie seem genuine, but reality isn't always entertaining .

My favorite of Leigh's post-90's work. It's oversimplifying things to say that the film promotes a "married good, single bad" sensibility but I can see how someone would get that impression. Regardless, Leigh gets the usual outstanding performances, especially Ruth Sheen. She has an astonishing presence, you just want her to be on the screen at every moment. There are beautiful moments in this film, and it moves surprisingly fast. It's hard not to get wrapped up in the lives of these characters.

Last third is a bit weaker than the rest of the film, but this is superior filmmaking in almost every way.

I confess, I didn't bother finishing it. Perhaps I should, but it felt like the essence of uninspired realism and Leigh showing off with his objective gazing at normal people skills.

(Lesley Manville)

5 Desembre 2011 - Històries, m'entretenen, però poc en trec. Personatges treballats, actuacions solvents (ara he trobat el lloc epr aquest adjectiu), diàlegs convincents i prou. No puc empatitzar i m'ha vingut al cap "Entre copas" (just quan avui n'he vist una altra del Payne), en què hi ha situacions no tant distants, encara que aquella sigui menys realista, potser, però em va fer connectar molt més.

I wasn't able to watch a whole movie, after 40 minutes I've stopped. Maybe someone will like it but I won't.

Life captured through drama is an admirable feat. Sometimes people are comforting, sometimes they're awkward, sometimes they're annoying as hell. It's almost as if the audience is given permission to be a part of this family, and whatever themes or messages you take are your own, just like life itself. What I think I loved the most here was the coziness of it all. It can be so warm without sacrificing any sense of reality. That's home.

Gripping. Great cast.

Funny, touching and sad all at the same time, Mike Leigh creates characters that feel so real, it's like I've known them my whole life.

The last chapter drags too much and nothing really happens, but the great acting makes this movie a winner.

Film rewelacyjnie zagrany, czego duza zasluga sa swietnie rozpisane dialogi. Naturalny, wzruszajacy, chwilami zabawny dramat obyczajowy. Perelka w swoim gatunku.

powerful and surprising

I confess, I didn't bother finishing it. perhaps I should, but it felt like the essence of uninspired realism and Leigh showing off with his objective gazing at normal people skills.

A simple story but done with such precision and care by someone who obviously knows what he was doing that it becomes a delight to watch, despite being depressing throughout. The cast is great, especially Manville who's desperation and neediness were palpable and really made you feel bad for her. When they introduce Joe's girlfriend Manville really shines. Pretty great.

Yes, Manville is good in this, but Jim Broadbent and Ruth Sheen are just as good--in a less showy way (which makes the performances terrific) (spoilers) Tom, Gerri and Joe are incredibly kind, patient and caring people, but through the course of the film--subtly and almost imperceptibly--the film revealed a less positive view of these characters for me. Beneath the generous behavior of these characters, I found a vacuousness and almost indifference to the people they had been kind to.

Although fast closing in on 70, Leigh shows no signs of slowing down, crafting a thoroughly engaging, insightful and deeply humanistic drama about age, generation, (self)delusion and the power and fleeting nature of relationships. The dialogue consistently rings true due to Leigh's well-known improvisational method, and the actors range from very good to breathtaking (Manville, Broadbent in particular). Wryly funny and heartbreakingly subdued this is all British, all Leigh, all amazing.