Some Mike Say

"Happy families are all alike," Tolstoy reckoned, before adding, "every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way". After all, there's better art in the wreckage, drama in the disorder.

Mike Leigh is definitely subscribed to that idea also. His films make a great job of scoring the different upsets and neuroses of his cast. The ensemble seethes, the wine bottles are uncorked and by degrees, the pain comes spilling out.

But still, there's charm and humanity in films like 'Life Is Sweet'. So we headed out on Friday night to see 'Another Year' half-expecting to emerge with a cheerful pay-off. Actually, no.

Some of the critics have been rather sniffy about this latest release. Certainly a few of the characters seem over cooked, but elsewhere, it's a rich idea. At the heart of the film is a happy couple, but the others are screeching satellites, full of complications and wracked histories. I'd recommend it. But possibly not as a Friday night tonic.