Director Mike Leigh’s comedy-drama, Another Year, which addresses a year’s worth of life’s dreck amidst a bit of witty humor is coming to Blu-Ray/DVD for $38.96 in a combo pack on June 7th. Another Year features characters ranging from the perpetually awesome Tom (Jim Broadbent) to the forever-sucky Mary (Lesley Manville), and it doesn’t feature a happy ending. If troubles ain’t your cup of tea, I'd suggest steering clear.
Another Year finds its strengths in some great acting performances and a decent -- if not random -- script. As usual, Mike Leigh is less of a master storyteller than a masterful purveyor of emotion, although the 2011 Oscars would disagree, having given the film a nomination for Best Original Screenplay.
With that said, even a love for Mike Leigh’s work won’t mean Another Year is the type of film you’ll want to watch over and over. You’ll just have to decide if the special features and a few viewings will be enough to cover the cost of combo pack from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. The set will include commentary with Leigh and Manville, a “Making Of” featurette, and a second featurette highlighting Leigh’s experiences with the cast throughout shooting the film.
Another Year was only rated PG-13, and while it doesn’t feature as many messed-up or overtly sexual moments as last year’s equally dramatic Blue Valentine, make no mistake, it is not a movie for children. Its topics are heavy and its ideas are dense. But if you love Jim Broadbent, it’s definitely worth a shot. Just maybe a Netflix shot.
