Life is Sweet
Just north of London live Wendy, Andy, and their twenty-something twins, Natalie and Nicola. Wendy clerks in a shop, leads aerobics at a primary school, jokes like a vaudevillian, agrees to waitress at a friend's new restaurant and dotes on Andy, a cook who forever puts off home remodeling projects, and with a drunken friend, buys a broken down lunch wagon. Natalie, with short neat hair and a snappy, droll manner, is a plumber; she has a holiday planned in America, but little else. Last is Nicola, odd man out: a snarl, big glasses, cigarette, mussed hair, jittery fingers, bulimic, jobless, and unhappy. How they interact and play out family conflict and love is the film's subject.
Member Reviews
Upbeat Mike Leigh - babyomum
You will be familiar with Mike Leigh if you have seen Vera Drake, Secrets and Lies or Naked. Other than Topsy Turvy, which is an atypical film for him I think, his films revolve around regular folks; the story is typically supplied by Leigh but his actors will assume character for several weeks and much of the footage is ad libbed.
I love this film - I never tire of seeing it. Its gentle, funny, heart-wrenching and ultimately life affirming. The scene with Alison Steadman and Jane Horrocks near the end of the film always takes my breath away (and brings tears to my eyes).
Member Reviews
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Upbeat Mike Leigh - babyomum
You will be familiar with Mike Leigh if you have seen Vera Drake, Secrets and Lies or Naked. Other than Topsy Turvy, which is an atypical film for him I think, his films revolve around regular folks; the story is typically supplied by Leigh but his actors ...