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"Another Year" Film (Dir. Mike Leigh, 2010)
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thispoison
thispoison
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Edited Sep 21, 2015, 03:50
"Another Year" Film (Dir. Mike Leigh, 2010)
Sep 21, 2015, 03:38
Just finished watching this exceptional movie on Film4. Try and catch it on repeat if you can. I started of liking the "happily" married couple at the centre of the story, but by the end despised them. I thought it captured something really sour at the heart of the UK - or specifically England - quite vividly. Another twist of the kaleidoscope away from what Sleaford Mods portray, towards vapid middle class mediocrity. And things haven't got any better in the last five years (that's for damn sure). Something must surely be rotten at the heart of England - not Denmark - if the Tories can be elected with an outright majority after five years of the Coalition's appalling cruelty to the most vulnerable members of society. Thatcher's "no such thing as society" has now come to pass.

Might be Leigh's masterpiece. Surely his best since "Naked" anyhow. After viewing I found the remarkable review below. Over the top / generalisation? Sure. Still a fascinating expression of one persons opinion based on their own experience. See what you think. Might put the cat amongst the pigeons!

[Shows the reality of "Depressing Britain"
5/10 | World Traveler | 25 Nov 2010

This movie was one of the most depressing films I've ever seen and I can relate to it after living 2 years in sad England.

Contrary to what many people around the world think - British society is highly dysfunctional, depressed, lonely, lacking in emotions, cold, insensitive and angry. This film depicts all of that. There is an old English couple who are together after years of being Married but they are awfully Boring people.... they have a son who looks like a "potato" and has no personality... and all the other characters in the movie are faaaar toooo depressing to even mention.

Sadly - this is very true about modern British society - and I really feel that Britain is the most depressed ugly nation in the world. Compared to France - Britain is socially backward, inept and full of loneliness and this movie successfully shows all that on the Big screen. Moreover Britain is UGLY - and the people are ugly - their ugliness stems not from their race but rather from their diet and depression caused by loneliness.It's funny but I compare this film to another recently released french movie - My afternoons with Margueritte - which was full of emotions, warmth, drama and beauty... and that is France for you. Even the poor in France are more human than any British - who have all become very cold insensitive people with no connections with their families, society or friends (if they even have any).

There is no sense of "community" left in Britain - and it's become like this greedy money obsessed nation where people don't care for each other or for normal human relations. Another Year also shows the reality of family relations in the UK - a son is late for his mother's funeral and doesn't really give a damn anyway - his father lost his wife but seems lost himself...the day she dies he wants to drink beer instead of tea....these are all real situations in everyday life within British society.

The little bit of multi-cultural-ism in UK has made it somewhat colourful and interesting - and if it hadn't been for that I would have killed myself in this depressing country after a month of living here. The movie should have been named - "Another Sad Year in Britain".]
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