| Photos (See all 25 | slideshow) | Videos (see all 7) |
| Jim Broadbent | ... | Tom | |
| Ruth Sheen | ... | Gerri | |
| Lesley Manville | ... | Mary | |
| Oliver Maltman | ... | Joe | |
| Peter Wight | ... | Ken | |
| David Bradley | ... | Ronnie | |
| Martin Savage | ... | Carl | |
| Karina Fernandez | ... | Katie | |
| Michele Austin | ... | Tanya | |
| Philip Davis | ... | Jack (as Phil Davis) | |
| Imelda Staunton | ... | Janet | |
| Stuart McQuarrie | ... | Tom's Colleague | |
| Eileen Davies | ... | Mourner | |
| Mary Jo Randle | ... | Mourner | |
| Ben Roberts | ... | Mourner | |
| David Hobbs | ... | Vicar | |
| Badi Uzzaman | ... | Mr. Gupta | |
| Meneka Das | ... | Mr. Gupta's Friend | |
| Ralph Ineson | ... | Drill Worker | |
| Edna Doré | ... | Allotment Lady | |
| Gary Powell | ... | Man in Bar | |
| Lisa McDonald | ... | Girl in Bar |
Directed by | |||
| Mike Leigh | |||
Writing credits | ||
| Mike Leigh | (written by) | |
Produced by | |||
| Danielle Brandon | .... | line producer | |
| Gail Egan | .... | executive producer | |
| Georgina Lowe | .... | producer | |
| Tessa Ross | .... | executive producer | |
Original Music by | |||
| Gary Yershon | |||
Cinematography by | |||
| Dick Pope | |||
Film Editing by | |||
| Jon Gregory | |||
Casting by | |||
| Nina Gold | |||
Production Design by | |||
| Simon Beresford | |||
Art Direction by | |||
| Andrew Rothschild | |||
Set Decoration by | |||
| Sophia Chowdhury | |||
Costume Design by | |||
| Jacqueline Durran | |||
Makeup Department | |||
| Christine Blundell | .... | hair designer | |
| Christine Blundell | .... | makeup designer | |
| Chloe Meddings | .... | hair stylist (as Chloë Meddings) | |
| Chloe Meddings | .... | makeup artist (as Chloë Meddings) | |
| Lesa Warrener | .... | senior makeup stylist | |
Production Management | |||
| Polly Duval | .... | post-production supervisor | |
| Tracey Josephs | .... | head of production: Film4 | |
| Sarah McBryde | .... | production manager | |
| Fiona Morham | .... | head of physical production: UK Film Council | |
| Iain Smith | .... | unit manager | |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director | |||
| Melanie Heseltine | .... | key second assistant director | |
| Toby Hosking | .... | key second assistant director | |
| Nicholas Kay | .... | third assistant director | |
| Josh Robertson | .... | first assistant director | |
| Steve Wentworth | .... | third assistant director | |
Art Department | |||
| Paul Barker | .... | standby rigger | |
| Caroline Bateman | .... | art department trainee: Skillset | |
| Netty Chapman | .... | standby art director | |
| Garry Dawson | .... | prop storeman | |
| Kevin Day | .... | standby props | |
| Noel Deegan | .... | standby props | |
| Andrew Forrest | .... | standby props (as Andy Forrest) | |
| Peter Hodge | .... | standby carpenter | |
| Rowanna Lacey | .... | graphic artist | |
| Sophia Millar | .... | art department trainee: Ft2 | |
| Dorothy Sullivan | .... | production buyer | |
| Steve Wheeler | .... | property master | |
| Matt Wyles | .... | dressing props | |
| Loretta Lipworth | .... | daily art department assistant (uncredited) | |
Sound Department | |||
| Jason Canovas | .... | dialogue editor | |
| Antoinette Fernandez | .... | sound trainee: UKFC Diversity | |
| Les Fiddess | .... | foley artist | |
| Tim Fraser | .... | sound recordist | |
| Loveday Harding | .... | boom operator | |
| Simon Hewitt | .... | foley artist | |
| Raphi Hill | .... | sound trainee: UKFC Diversity (as Raphaella Hill) | |
| Martin Oswin | .... | foley mixer | |
| Mark Paterson | .... | sound re-recording mixer | |
| Steve Schwalbe | .... | supervising foley editor | |
| Nigel Stone | .... | sound re-recording mixer | |
| Nigel Stone | .... | supervising sound editor | |
| Andy Thompson | .... | sound re-recording mixer | |
| William Towers | .... | boom operator (as Will Towers) | |
| Mike Wood | .... | sound effects editor | |
| Ben Collinson | .... | sound assistant (uncredited) | |
| Robert Weatherall | .... | mix technician (uncredited) | |
| Philip Young | .... | adr recordist (uncredited) | |
Special Effects by | |||
| David Johns | .... | snow effects technician (uncredited) | |
Visual Effects by | |||
| Dolores McGinley | .... | visual effects artist | |
Camera and Electrical Department | |||
| Wailoon Chung | .... | generator operator | |
| John Evans | .... | clapper loader | |
| Phoebe Fraser | .... | camera trainee: UKFC Diversity | |
| Eugene Grobler | .... | electrician | |
| Mark Hanlon | .... | best boy | |
| Andy Long | .... | gaffer | |
| Simon Mein | .... | stills photographer | |
| Megan Ogilvie | .... | camera trainee: UKFC Diversity | |
| Dick Pope | .... | camera operator | |
| Gordon Segrove | .... | first assistant camera: "a" camera | |
| Colin Strachan | .... | grip | |
| Danny McGee | .... | practical electrician (uncredited) | |
Casting Department | |||
| Kharmel Cochrane | .... | casting assistant | |
| Robert Sterne | .... | casting associate | |
Costume and Wardrobe Department | |||
| Lucy Donowho | .... | costume standby | |
| Edith Kähler | .... | costume assistant | |
| Holly Waddington | .... | assistant costume designer | |
Editorial Department | |||
| Helle Absalonsen | .... | senior digital intermediate producer | |
| Ben Bradley | .... | digital intermediate technical director | |
| John Claude | .... | colorist | |
| Sinéad Cronin | .... | on-line editor | |
| Jo Dixon | .... | first assistant editor (as Jo-Anne Dixon) | |
| Sam Karr | .... | editing trainee: UKFC Diversity | |
| Garry Maddison | .... | data scanner | |
| Mark Neale | .... | additional assistant editor | |
| Natalie Silver | .... | data scanner | |
| Thora Woodward | .... | additional assistant editor | |
Music Department | |||
| Tom Bullen | .... | assistant score engineer | |
| Nick Cooper | .... | musician: cello | |
| Terry Davies | .... | conductor | |
| Andrew Glen | .... | music editor | |
| Isobel Griffiths | .... | musicians contractor | |
| John Parricelli | .... | musician: guitar | |
| Colin Rae | .... | music preparation | |
| George Robertson | .... | musician: viola | |
| Nick Taylor | .... | score mix engineer | |
| Nick Taylor | .... | score recordist | |
| David Theodore | .... | musician: oboe | |
| Helen Tunstall | .... | musician: harp | |
| Lucy Whalley | .... | assistant musician contractor | |
Transportation Department | |||
| Danny Brown | .... | facilities captain | |
| Simon Burgess | .... | driver: facilities | |
| John Doran | .... | unit driver | |
| Lloyd Eaton | .... | driver: facilities | |
| Stuart Little | .... | unit driver: minibus | |
| Jim McGleish | .... | unit driver | |
| Paul Racher | .... | driver: facilities | |
| Dan Smith | .... | driver: facilities | |
| Barry Quibell | .... | driver: transportation facilities (uncredited) | |
Other crew | |||
| Chris Allies | .... | title designer | |
| Chris Blyth | .... | caterer | |
| Philip Booth | .... | production assistant (as Philip James Booth) | |
| Kate Brown | .... | floor runner | |
| Sally Caplan | .... | head of premiere fund: UK Film Council | |
| Eleri Coulten | .... | assistant location manager | |
| Paul Creasy | .... | caterer | |
| Graham Easton | .... | completion guarantor: Film Finances | |
| Will Evans | .... | head of business affairs: UK Film Council | |
| Trisha Faulkner | .... | unit nurse (as Patricia Faulkner) | |
| Helen Grearson | .... | production assistant | |
| Paul Grindey | .... | head of business affairs: Film4 | |
| Laura Hicks | .... | solicitor: Reed Smith | |
| Ruth Hodgson | .... | completion guarantor: Film Finances | |
| Vince Holden | .... | head of production finance: UK Film Council (as Vincent Holden) | |
| Bek Leigh | .... | accountant: Thin Man Films | |
| Clem Leneghan | .... | health and safety | |
| Nicholas Marple | .... | development support | |
| Charles May | .... | location security | |
| Jerry Melichar | .... | director: delivery and post production: Focus Features International | |
| Steve Morley | .... | diversity scheme executive: UK Film Council | |
| Clive Noakes | .... | laboratory liaison: Deluxe Laboratories | |
| Robert Norris | .... | solicitor: Reed Smith | |
| Kevin O'Shea | .... | insurance agent: AON/Albert G. Ruben | |
| Herta Paarte | .... | executive vice president marketing and distribution: Focus Features International | |
| Richard Phillips | .... | solicitor: Reed Smith | |
| Sophie Roberts | .... | development support | |
| Jonathan Rutter | .... | publicist: Premier PR | |
| James Shirras | .... | completion guarantor: Film Finances | |
| Sue Bruce Smith | .... | head of commercial development: Film4 (as Sue Bruce-Smith) | |
| Sarah Stiff | .... | assistant accountant | |
| Heather Storr | .... | script supervisor | |
| Alison Thompson | .... | president sales and distribution: Focus Features International | |
| Nikki Thornhill | .... | insurance agent: AON/Albert G. Ruben | |
| Jack Timbrell | .... | production assistant | |
| Will Tyler | .... | production accountant | |
| Danielle Wilson | .... | caterer | |
| Henry Woolley | .... | location manager | |
| Ian Pearce | .... | set security (uncredited) | |
| Barry Quibell | .... | unit facilities (uncredited) | |
| Barnaby Riggs | .... | floor runner (uncredited) | |
| Helen Turpin | .... | production assistant (uncredited) | |
| Matthew Whitney | .... | location scout (uncredited) | |
| Eva Yates | .... | assistant: Tessa Ross (uncredited) | |
Thanks | |||
| Simon Channing Williams | .... | in memory of | |
|
|
|
|
|
| The Kids Are All Right | Looking for Palladin | The Constant Gardener | Revolutionary Road | Tea and Sympathy |
|
IMDb User Rating: |
IMDb User Rating: |
IMDb User Rating: |
IMDb User Rating: |
IMDb User Rating: |
| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| News articles | IMDb Comedy section | IMDb UK section |
Mike Leigh's latest film Another Year follows the story of a happily married couple approaching their retirement years. Their warm relationship offers them security as the the film progresses. Their friends and family, by contrast, all struggle to some extent with unhappiness, and a sense that their best years may be behind them.
The film is a story of ageing; the small events that can make life either comforting or unbearable; and the refuge that companionship can offer.
Rut Sheen's role as Gerri is superb. Her open, welcoming face invites her friend and colleague Mary (played by Lesley Manville) to open up to her about her drunken fears of where her life is leading. Jim Broadbent's Tom is charming and self-effacing, confident in his own happiness yet nonplussed at the failure of his friend Ken Peter Wight to come to terms with growing old.
The film dwells on the small, predominantly non-verbal signals that reveal emotional and social insecurity. Leigh's direction reminds us that the sharpest insights into character lie in moments where we think we at our most concealed. Faces betray what we wish were kept private at moments where verbal communication fails, physical expression lights up hidden fears, passions, failings and desires.
Leigh treats all his characters with a certain dignity whilst there are moments where we are encouraged to laugh at their social inadequacies, for the most part we suffer along with them, knowing that their experiences are all too near reality to take lightly. We encourage Tom and Gerri to keep supporting their despairing friends, yet knowing at the same time that their married happiness can only serve to mock their friends' lonely lives further. The four strictly partitioned seasons of the film point towards a growing anxiety that it may in fact be too late for these lost characters. The cyclical nature of the structure suggests that there is no real remedy for those left unloved and lonely at the film's conclusion.
From the opening scene, where a woman silently struggles to recollect the happiest moment in her life, to the point when the dialogue slowly fades away to leave Mary isolated and forlorn, we cannot help but be both enchanted and dismayed by the emotional honesty of Mike Leigh's characters. This is what sets out the director as a truly gifted artist his ability to heighten the routine into the dramatic; and to make the trivial, truly tragic.