Following 1999's Oscar-nominated period piece TOPSY-TURVY, acclaimed filmmaker Mike Leigh returns to the familiar terrain of modern, working-class London with ALL OR NOTHING. Yet... more
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Advantages: seemingly realistic, thoughtprovoking Disadvantages: a bit boring to watch at times
It is said that all great art comes from suffering.
Does this imply that the viewing of said art causes suffering in the viewer, as it shines through in the work?
Who knows. What I'm getting at is that some critically acclaimed, award winning and so called 'artsy' films can be somewhat hard watching. That sometimes you must sit through the first minutes, perhaps not enjoying it, until you warm up a bit and start to get into it. Well this is what ... ...seen. The families' homes are all decorated in drab neutrals, as are the clothes on their backs. Could be saying that bright and bold colours are only for the more priveleged, or maybe just to reinforce the peoples' lives are comparitively quite drab.
The camera work is almost documentary-like, in that it is very steady, barely moving, I suppose so as not to distract the viewer from what is happening in the picture.
Because the film is so seemingly ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: True to life drama which is excellantly acted Disadvantages: Could be seen as depressing!
...Phil and his wife seems all but gone till they are faced with tragedy. The tragedy forces them into a journey of rediscovery drawing them closer together as a family helping them express long supressed feelings of resentment and hurt, resulting in a final explosive confrontation between husband and wife. The film also follows the lives of a few neighbouring families on the housing estate they all have disfunctional emotional lives each with different ... ...fairytale love story it is a hard hitting drama about realistic people with realistic problems. This is what real life is like for so many people and is rarely portrayed so brilliantly in a film it shows you that when faced with sadness and devastation love and caring can help and keep you strong.
I thoroughly enjoyed this film and would recommend to anyone who likes to watch films true to life. ...
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Actor(s): Timothy Spall, Lesley Manville, Alison Garland, Ruth Sheen, Marion Bailey, James Corden, Helen Coker, Sally Hawkins, Paul Jesson
Director(s): Mike Leigh
Genre: Drama
Classification: 18 years and over
Production Year: 2002
Running Time: 2 hours 8 minutes
Video Category: Feature Film
Country Of Origin: United Kingdom
Plot: The story of Phil and Penny Bassett who are bored with their day to day lives. A family emergency brings the whole family much closer together...
Release details
DVD Region: Region 2 (Europe)
Studio(s): UGC FILMS; MOMENTUM PICTURES
Release date: 28/04/2003
No of Discs: 1
Catalogue No: MP 245 D
Barcode: 5060049140452
Screenwriter: Mike Leigh
Composer: Andrew Dickson
Director of Photography: Dick Pope
Producer: Simon Channing-Williams
Languages
Main Language: English
Technical information
Special Features: Audio Commentary - 1. Mike Leigh - Director, Trailer - 1. Original Theatrical Trailer, Interviews
DVD Description
Following 1999's Oscar-nominated period piece TOPSY-TURVY, acclaimed filmmaker Mike Leigh returns to the familiar terrain of modern, working-class London with ALL OR NOTHING. Yet another bittersweet slice-of-life drama conceived in Leigh's now legendary improvisational style, ALL OR NOTHING follows a group of dysfunctional families living in a London housing project who seem to have lost any glimmer of optimism and hope. Phil Bassett (Timothy Spall) works as a cab driver, while his wife Penny (Lesley Manville) holds a job as a clerk in a Safeway. Their two kids, Rachel (Alison Garland) and Rory (James Corden), are overweight and friendless. Nearby, Ron (Paul Jesson) and Carol (Marion Bailey) drink themselves into oblivion every night, while their sex-charged daughter Samantha (Sally Hawkins) attempts to conquer every boy on the block. Next door to them, Penny's coworker Maureen (Ruth Sheen) watches over her daughter, Donna (Helen Coker), who has been impregnated by her bitter, abusive boyfriend. In typical Leigh fashion, each character trudges through the muck of everyday existence, until a minor revelation sparks an understanding that brings hope to their sour lives. Featuring impeccably realised performances by the ensemble cast--most notably Spall and Manville--Leigh's film pays tribute to the exasperating institution of family.
Professional reviews
Review: "...Manville works in such natural, perfect sync with the unerring Leigh-ite Spall..." (Entertainment Weekly, p.83, 08/11/2002)
"...Leigh thoroughly understands the dimensions of human misery in every form, and at times all one can do is stare agape at the emotional realities onscreen..." (Film Comment, p.71, 01/09/2002)
"...[Leigh's] process discourages vanity and produces performances of extraordinary depth..." (New York Times, p.E10, 25/10/2002)
"...Leigh's films reflect the organic, improvised manner in which they are made....There is still a power to the formula and a beauty to the ritual..." (Sight and Sound, p.38, 01/11/2002)
"...ALL OR NOTHING is one of the director's signature ensemble pieces, expertly marrying comedy and pathos..." (Total Film, p.112, 01/11/2002)
"...[The film] has flashes of power..." (USA Today, p.15D, 25/10/2002)
