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Title: Classic Leigh
Review: After hearing the director's commentary (sadly available only on the British DVD release, it seems), I appreciated Mike Leigh in a new way. He is, at heart, a simple storyteller who delights in letting us see real human beings in real situations, inviting us along on the journey as their lives and characters are shaped. As expected, we meet a number of struggling (and uniformly depressed) characters, all of whom have hidden depths which are revealed as the central events of the film transpire. Leigh elicits believable and affecting performances all round. Admittedly, this is even bleaker than Secrets and Lies, although there is an undercurrent of redemption as the tensions begin to resolve. As usual, this vintage Leigh offering is compelling stuff.
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