Review: Another Year

Grade: B-

Tom and Gerri are a married couple who have managed to stay blissfully happy into the autumn of their lives. They both are very happy with their lives as well. They enjoy their jobs, they have traveled the world and they have a 30 year old son who works with Tom. Over the course of one year, the couple finds themselves surrounded by friends, family and colleagues who seem to be struggling with depression in one form or another. From their friend Mary who just wants to find a man to settle down with to Tom’s brother whose wife passes away. The couple try to help them out in any way they can.

Another Year is an interesting movie with some nice moments in it. It’s a good movie with some really good writing but at times I was unsure as to the message of the movie. I almost feel that the writers were trying to say that if you aren’t in a relationship then you can’t be happy. The couple’s friend Mary can’t find a man to settle down with, and so she is miserable and only seems to get more depressed. Their son, Joe, wasn’t necessarily down or anything, but when he meets a girl he suddenly becomes the happiest man in London. Aside from this weird message about couples and relationships, the movie is actually pretty enjoyable and all the characters are very interesting. Even though Tom and Gerri are the main characters in the movie, the movie isn’t really about them, it’s about the people around them and all the aspects of their relationships and what’s happening in their lives as compared to the almost perfect lives and relationship of Tom and Gerri.

Jim Broadbent (Harry Potter, Hot Fuzz) plays the role of Tom. I really like Broadbent, he’s a great actor and was the reason I decided to watch this. He delivers a great performance in the movie and is really great to watch. Ruth Sheen (Run Fatboy Run, Vanity Fair) plays the role of Gerri. She was fantastic in this movie delivering some really great and honest performances. Lesley Manville plays Mary, a friend of the couple and colleague of Gerri. She did a really good job with her role, which was an interesting one. The movie also features performances by Oliver Maltman, Peter Wight, David Bradley, Karina Fernandez, Imelda Staunton and more.

Another Year is a well acted and well written movie but it is not for everyone. It is rather slow moving and obvious with what it is trying to do. It really seems like a movie more for those around the ages of the characters.