All Or Nothing
From the director of Secrets & Lies comes "a true and wonderful film" (Roger Ebert, Ebert & Roeper and the Movies"
Three-time Oscar-nominated writer/director Mike Leigh (Topsy-Turvy, Secrets & Lies) delivers this "rewarding...vibrant...poetic slice-of-life drama" (Variety) about an ordinary family dealing with the complexities of life and a crisis that takes them on a tumultuous emotional journey.
In a crowded South London apartment building, Penny, a working mom, struggles to keep her dejected daughter, her lazy son and her disillusioned partner on the right path. But when tragedy befalls her loved ones, she finds that support comes from the most unexpected places...and brings the most surprising results.
Member Reviews
worth renting - tbird
dark comedy mixed with sarcasm. the film shows out of shape, miserable people with shitty jobs, who are all on the brink of a self destructive nervous breakdowns.they become renewed by waking up to the love that is buried deep inside, under all the sad clutter of their existence.the most disturbing aspect of this film is that it definitely represents a huge number of folks out there, folks you can spot anywhere.Sometimes all you need is one scene... - Spumco
Sometimes all you need is one scene to make an entire film worthwhile and then some. This is one of those movies. Leigh favourite Timothy Spall once again shows us the depth of his acting chops by playing Phil, a well-meaning but underachieving taxi cab driver in South London who doesn't seem to be worried by the same everyday troubles as his partner Penny. To me, the foundation of the film rests entirely on one scene the couple has towards the end of the film when Phil finally decides he needs to come clean about the lulling and emasculating feeling between them that has permeated their entire household. This scene is strong enough to carry the entire film because it's a floodgate of genuine human emotions on par with Alison Steadman's confrontation with Jane Horrocks in Life is Sweet.
There is a host of other "colourful" working class characters...perky single mother Maureen, her pregnant young daughter Donna, and the saddest family in the housing complex..the alcoholic couple Carol and Ron with their unemployed, promiscuous daughter Samantha who is so starved for attentions she'll entertain the demented come-ons from an unstable stalker. These secondary characters all knit a nice tapestry in Penny and Phil's life but in the end, it's about whether they're willing to give it "all".Despair and Hope - Externalwc
If you are looking for fast paced drama, this will disappoint you. There is certainly drama in this film, and sometimes the characters are so true to life that it becomes shockingly funny.
The despair of the families initially makes you feel that it would be awful to be in their shoes, but towards the end, it becomes clear that things aren't always as bad as they seem, especially once you take stock of your life, and see how much you really do have.
Member Reviews
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worth renting - tbird
dark comedy mixed with sarcasm. the film shows out of shape, miserable people with shitty jobs, who are all on the brink of a self destructive nervous breakdowns.they become renewed by waking up to the love that is buried deep inside, under all the sad clutter ...Sometimes all you need is one scene... - Spumco
Sometimes all you need is one scene to make an entire film worthwhile and then some. This is one of those movies. Leigh favourite Timothy Spall once again shows us the depth of his acting chops by playing Phil, a well-meaning but underachieving taxi cab driver ...Despair and Hope - Externalwc
If you are looking for fast paced drama, this will disappoint you. There is certainly drama in this film, and sometimes the characters are so true to life that it becomes shockingly funny.
The despair of the families initially makes you feel that ...