All Or Nothing (2002)
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Movie Reviews of All Or Nothing (2002)
Movie Review: Another gem from Mike Leigh
Summary: 5 Stars
When you see an Amazon customer review that uses the word (and I used the term loosely) "ohmigod " in it's heading you automatically know that the review is better suited for tripe like "Bad Boys II," "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle," or any number of Adam Sandler or David Spade movies. What a pity for them that Arnold Schwazenegger has quit movies for the foreseeable future. On the plus side, they can take comfort. "Weekend at Bernie's," both I and II are now available on DVD.Indeed, if you are looking for nonstop action, constant special effects and shots that last no more than a few seconds be assured, Mike Leigh is not for you. However, if you are one of the discriminating movie goers who crave serious character development, thoughtful plot development, and absolute top notch acting you can ignore the musings of such reviewers.
"All or Nothing" is certainly Mike Leigh's bleakest outing since "Naked" nearly a decade ago, and it isn't an easy watch for everyone. But the characters are on target, the situations are real and, this being a Leigh film after all, the acting is noting less than extraordinary with Timothy Spall, Leslie Manville, and Ruth Sheen (veterans of Leigh movies all) each in top form.
Movie Review: Liegh Wins Again
Summary: 5 Stars
Granted, this movie is not for all tastes. It's virtually unrelenting look at the struggling working class of Britain can be bleak and troubling. However, for those who frequent the local art house, and those who have found themselves drawn to the previous work of Mike Leigh it is a must.Timothy Spall and Lesley Manville are a common-law couple who work as a taxi drive and a grocery store checker respectively. They are raising two teenagers, a shy, bookish daughter who works as a janitor of a nursing home and a son who does little but verbally abuse his mother while he sits in front of the TV. Plot here is not the emphasis. Slice of life is.
Bleak as this scenario sounds (and it only scratches the surface) this is a film that rewards the patient viewer as the ending does offer a healthy dose of redemption. Along the way the acting shines (typical for Leigh films) with Spall, Manville, and Ruth Sheen as the friend and neighbor dealing with a pregnant teen age daughter turning in award worthy performances.
Movie Review: Mike Leigh
Summary: 5 Stars
It is hard to think of another more consistently powerful film director than England's Mike Leigh and "All or Nothing" is yet another example of his exemplary work.
Many here have used the word "depressing" to describe this movie and, if you don't look very far from the surface, that is understandable. Look a little deeper and you see redemption at play in the lives of these characters whose lives seem stuck in permanent reverse.
"All or Nothing" features some mainstays of Mike Leigh films in its cast, including Timothy Spall ("Secrets and Lies," "Life is Sweet") Lesley Manville ("Secrets and Lies," "High Hopes") and Ruth Sheen ("High Hopes") and each are superb here.
Movie Review: don't like it? go watch legally blonde instead.
Summary: 5 Stars
how is "poor people, weak people, unsmart people, unhappy people, unsane people, violent people, fat people, ugly people" like a cliche? if people want 'a smile' there are plenty of (cliched) films out there about rich, talented, beautiful, perfect, boring people to keep you occupied. complaining about directors like mike leigh making films that are too depressing (and they're not, actually, if you pay attention instead of wondering when the fast cars and low-cut dresses are going to come in) is missing the point by so far i wonder how people who do it ended up at the film in the first place. did you get lost on the way to disneyland?Movie Review: Mike Leigh
Summary: 5 Stars
Sharply acted and finely tunes, "All or Nothing" is another of British director Mike Leigh's look at the lives of the British working class. Plotting here more or less takes a bit of a back seat to character development and a s bleak as some of the goings on can be it is breathtaking and unforgettable when redemption finally kicks in.The film is not always an easy one to watch, and if you are new to Leigh you might want to start with "Secrets and Lies," "Career Girls," or, if you can find a copy, "High Hopes." If, however, you are already a Leigh fan, this one is for you.