In my opinion, this is another stellar film from writer/director Mike Leigh. I place it just below his masterpiece Secrets and Lies, but not too far below it. As usual, Leigh has put together a wonderful ensemble cast, which is good, because Timothy Spall would have outshone anything less, and he works best when the rest of the cast is great.

The movie seems bleak a lot of the time. The secret is to allow yourself to care about the characters and be patient. It reminds me of the very early Coronation Street shows: no glitz, no glamour, just like down in the muck with real people.

If you have seen this movie already, you know the plot, and if you don’t, stop reading reviews and just watch the darn thing. The more you know about it, the less impact it might have on you. Like Secrets and Lies, this movie has emotional dynamite at the end, but boy, does it ever earn it along the way. Don’t miss it.