Review: Lesley Manville shines in superbly crafted 'Another Year'

Nothing really happens in Mike Leigh's latest -- nothing extraordinary, at least.

As the title suggests, the film follows the usual comings and goings, ups and downs that transpire over four seasons among a longtime happily married couple, their family and friends. And yet everything is fully realized and superbly crafted; the sense of intimacy Leigh creates as writer and director is never broken, for better and for worse.

"Another Year" feels as organic and authentic as the vegetables its lead characters, husband and wife Tom and Gerri (Jim Broadbent and Ruth Sheen), grow in a community garden. It reveals the players' connections effortlessly, and with the naturalistic dialogue that is among the filmmaker's trademarks. But it can also be unrelentingly bleak, which should come as a surprise to absolutely no one who's a fan of Leigh's work.

Still, the character at the center of "Another Year," Lesley Manville's Mary, is a high-energy bundle of neediness and desire, constantly striving to connect, desperate for human contact. Manville, one of many Leigh regulars in the cast, plays her as well-intentioned but self-conscious, ingratiating but jittery, sweet but passive-aggressive and clearly so, so lonely. It's an annoying character, but Manville is so good, she makes you feel sorry for her.