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U-Know! Forum » "Another Year" Film (Dir. Mike Leigh, 2010) |
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thispoison 253 posts |
Edited Sep 21, 2015, 03:50
Sep 21, 2015, 03:38
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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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Sin Agog 2253 posts |
Edited Sep 21, 2015, 09:04
Sep 21, 2015, 06:09
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I love the smell of misanthropy in the morning. It smells like....ah, what's the point in even finishing this sentence. We're all fucked, anyway. ;) Hah, I warned a Hungarian friend before she came here for a three-month tenure that the British, once described by early Roman visitors as an exceptionally comely people, have morphed into a race of hominid potatoes with dimly-lit eyes, and a mien dowdy to the point of pastiche. She agreed with me, and worse, by the time she left. We do tend to foster pretty rich imaginations on these shores, though. P'raps most of us have such lively inner-worlds that we let our outer shells go to seed. Had that Leigh movie on the backburner for awhile, but I'll get to it soon. I don't think ANYONE will top Naked, let alone Leigh himself, but we'll see. Great interview/mini-doc of sorts between Will Self and Mike Leigh: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cAo-43C2xnc
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Robot Emperor 762 posts |
Sep 21, 2015, 10:33
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Its interesting how people give more away about themselves than they intend with the written word. "Even the poor in France are more human than any British"... really? How delightfully progressive. Should be entitled "Britain - A Cunt's Perspective". I'm afraid he's laying into those north of the border as well. Your ugly because of what you eat. Dietary absolutism.
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Robot Emperor 762 posts |
Sep 21, 2015, 11:30
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And I've seen "My afternoons with Margueritte". Simplistic sentimental drivel. With an overwhelming sense of patronising paternalistic concern for the lower orders, who in this movie are illiterate and sub-normal. Easier to exercise that condescending concern to someone who isn't fucking furious at the injustice surrounding them. Perhaps if he chose a French movie similarly portraying the modern malaise ("La Vie de Jesus" perhaps, or "L'humanite") discussion would be possible. Modern French literature is full of books that display the break down of community and the isolation of the individual - "Atomised" to cite a well known example. Lets not forget that the biggest film last year in France ("Qu'est-ce qu'on a fait au Bon Dieu?") isn't getting released here because it is racist. I'm of a view that criticism starts with oneself. If things are shit am I doing enough? I certainly wouldn't seek absolution from the problems of the modern world because of where I was born. I'm a trade-unionist, a member of the Labour party, I run an under 10's football team, I'm even active in the church (even though I think religion a ridiculous idea - I like the music, the choir master here shows excellent taste). All are bonds that tie the disparate.
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sanshee 1080 posts |
Sep 22, 2015, 20:09
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The guy's a jerk. Simple as.
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IanB 6761 posts |
Edited Sep 24, 2015, 18:28
Sep 24, 2015, 17:01
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I actually see a lot of reasons to be hopeful. I find people to be by and large kind, caring, generous and collaborative when given even the smallest chance to be so. Sure you can find daily examples of selfishness, venality, prejudice and even violent behaviour in any community but, except in rare cases, it's not chronic, it's not endemic. It certainly isn't part of who we are as a nation at heart. Though I barely see nationality as being relevant. We are consistently fed bad information (primarily via medias owned externally) and that bad information is endlessly amplified and re-amplified in the echo chambers and silos of social media. We need to get off our screens and into the world. The joy shown by Corbyn's supporters (and maybe your SNP folks) is I think a little less about what he believes in detail and maybe a bit more to do with the simple pleasure of joining arms with other people in a public space for something bigger and more hopeful than our own private concerns and obsessions and a bit more meaningful than a rendition of Wonderwall, Angels, We Are The (Fucking) Champions or The Finest Football Team The World Has Ever Seen. The Thatcher thing is something of a puppet show. We over-fixate on her and Blair et al. I know I do. Our biggest problem is consumption and growth and the bombardment of images and messages stimulating the consumption that the charge for growth demands. That's a way bigger problem than what colour rosettes or flags the current bunch of sociopaths who lead happen to be wearing and carrying. The most frightening thing about Cameron is that he has no ideology to speak of and does not care who knows it. He just wants to take the ship of growth forward in the same old direction, billowing out black smoke while wearing the captain's hat. I don't see austerity as ideological I see it as a result of a developmental disorder in politics and the concept of state governance as a whole. Anything and anyone is dispensable in the pursuit of growth. It's the poor and vulnerable who are getting it first because that is the "logical" place for a technocrat to start. For Cameron this is all a sideshow but with free market economics being at the heart of the status quo (for all major parties) he wont touch those particular levers any more than he is going to touch land reform. The wearing of the hat is the most important thing by far. Speaking of the pleasure of joining arms I really liked this piece. Don't agree with all of it but the core idea speaks to me ... http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/sep/15/leftwing-evangelical-christianity-corbyn
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IanB 6761 posts |
Edited Sep 25, 2015, 09:16
Sep 24, 2015, 17:08
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Robot Emperor wrote: I'm of a view that criticism starts with oneself. If things are shit am I doing enough? I certainly wouldn't seek absolution from the problems of the modern world because of where I was born. I'm a trade-unionist, a member of the Labour party, I run an under 10's football team, I'm even active in the church (even though I think religion a ridiculous idea - I like the music, the choir master here shows excellent taste). All are bonds that tie the disparate. Amen to that.
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carol27 747 posts |
Sep 24, 2015, 21:48
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IanB wrote: I actually see a lot of reasons to be hopeful. I find people to be by and large kind, caring, generous and collaborative when given even the smallest chance to be so. Sure you can find daily examples of selfishness, venality, prejudice and even violent behaviour in any community but, except in rare cases, it's not chronic, it's not endemic. It certainly isn't part of who we are as a nation at heart. Though I barely see nationality as being relevant. We are consistently fed bad information (primarily via medias owned externally) and that bad information is endlessly amplified and re-amplified in the echo chambers and silos of social media. We need to get off our screens and into the world. The joy shown by Corbyn's supporters (and maybe your SNP folks) is I think a little less about what he believes in detail and maybe a bit more to do with the simple pleasure of joining arms with other people in a public space for something bigger and more hopeful than our own private concerns and obsessions and a bit more meaningful than a rendition of Wonderwall, Angels, We Are The (Fucking) Champions or The Finest Football Team The World Has Ever Seen. The Thatcher thing is something of a puppet show. We over-fixate on her and Blair et al. I know I do. Our biggest problem is consumption and growth and the bombardment of images and messages stimulating the consumption that the charge for growth demands. That's a way bigger problem than what colour rosettes or flags the current bunch of sociopaths who lead happen to be wearing and carrying. The most frightening thing about Cameron is that he has no ideology to speak of and does not care who knows it. He just wants to take the ship of growth forward in the same old direction, billowing out black smoke while wearing the captain's hat. I don't see austerity as ideological I see it as a result of a developmental disorder in politics and the concept of state governance as a whole. Anything and anyone is dispensable in the pursuit of growth. It's the poor and vulnerable who are getting it first because that is the "logical" place for a technocrat to start. For Cameron this is all a sideshow but with free market economics being at the heart of the status quo (for all major parties) he wont touch those particular levers any more than he is going to touch land reform. The wearing of the hat is the most important thing by far. Speaking of the pleasure of joining arms I really liked this piece. Don't agree with all of it but the core idea speaks to me ... http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/sep/15/leftwing-evangelical-christianity-corbyn Bloody hell you explain things so well. It's moving & empowering.
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spencer 3071 posts |
Sep 25, 2015, 02:44
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That Eastenders has been on telly for so long and remains so popular is a damning comment on this country's mentality. Happiness? Joy? Goodness? Can't have that. Misery? Backstabbing? Conflict? Now you're talking! : (
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IanB 6761 posts |
Edited Sep 25, 2015, 07:51
Sep 25, 2015, 07:15
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spencer wrote: That Eastenders has been on telly for so long and remains so popular is a damning comment on this country's mentality. Happiness? Joy? Goodness? Can't have that. Misery? Backstabbing? Conflict? Now you're talking! : ( Do you think that is new or unique? I am not so sure. Those Greek tragedies and Shakespearean plays that were so popular back in the day? Not many happy endings or blankly likable characters. Beowulf, Chaucer, Arthurian Legend, Milton, Dickens, Conrad etc etc. Eastenders is part of a very long tradition of hugely popular morally dubious characters behaving in a questionable fashion with the odd love story thrown in. And the lovers nearly always have a bad time.
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