MIKE LEIGH
(1943 - ), English



"We understand Leigh's characters and situations not with the instantaneous insight that movies usually provide, but the way we understand things in life outside of the movies–gradually, hesitantly, provisionally. Understanding out of time is replaced by understanding in time; shorthand knowing gives way to longhand. The gradualness and tentativeness of the knowing process affect its final status. Leigh's truths stay localized, his forms of knowing gradual and evolutionary, no matter how many times we see the movies. The experiences in Leigh's work must be undergone for a long time before they can be understood (if they can be understood at all)."
- The Films of Mike Leigh: Embracing the World

"While remaining fiercely independent and staunchly left-wing in his attitudes, Leigh has built up a body of work that anatomizes Britain's class system and everyday family life. The best of them articulate a subversive critique of English life that is often funny and often acutely painful. "
- 501 Movie Directors


FILMOGRAPHY
1971 Bleak Moments
1973 Hard Labour
1975 The Permissive Society
1976 Nuts in May
1977 Abigail's Party
1977 Kiss of Death
1978 Who's Who
1980 Grown-Ups
1982 Home Sweet Home
1983 Meantime
1985 Four Days in July
1987 The Short and Curlies (short)
1988 High Hopes
1990 Life Is Sweet
1993 Naked
1996 Secrets & Lies
1997 Career Girls
1999 Topsy-Turvy
2002 All or Nothing
2004 Vera Drake
2008 Happy-Go-Lucky
2010 Another Year

Recommended First Watch: Life is Sweet

By far the hardest director to tier. The more you read the more confusing it gets. Most people agree that Leigh is one of the greatest English filmmakers, but there's little consensus on why or what his greatest films are. There are mostly two camps: those who favor his early work (aesthetic-geared academics, Marxist-geared academics, cinephiles, hardcore Leigh fans, general film academics) and those who favor his later work (mainstream critics, the general public). The ones who favor his early work prefer different late films than those who favor his late films, and vice versa. I've tried to figure out where the two groups overlap and I think I've done a pretty good job.

All Tim Roth and Gary Oldman fans need to see Meantime.

I feel like secrets and lies should be red, tho oscar nominations don't mean much in the big picture, it did get a lot of mass acclaim

I guess you can't argue with a Palme d'Or, even though the first group considers it a pretty weak work. I'll unred Happy-Go-Lucky so we aren't overdoing the reds. I personally recommend all of the works I have bolded and reded before and including Life is Sweet over all those after it other than All or Nothing, Happy Go-Lucky and maybe Another Year (which is the only feature I haven't seen).

i'm not against happy go lucky being red, that movie rules. Tho you're the better caller, I haven't seen much of his work

Really, every movie we have either red or bold rules in some way or another and even Hard Labour and Career Girls have ample merits. I am not inclined towards Secrets & Lies or Vera Drake but I can reckonize.

Added Life is Sweet as recommended first watch.

Aaagh I love everything he's done, but especially his pre-Naked work so much. I think I could watch The Kiss of Death over and over.

Only move of his I've been fortunate enough to see thus far but daaamn I loved that shit. "immensely watchable" is but one way to put it.

Drew, I recently stumbled across an old post of yours at the Fictional Woods where you said you'd never seen a film by Korine or Leigh and that you didn't like Antonioni. lol

I rank:

1. Life Is Sweet = 10
2. Bleak Moments = 9
3. Naked = 8
4. Vera Drake = 7
5. Happy-Go-Lucky = 6

So judging by the pattern, I'm guessing High Hopes or Meantime next?

I prefer his earlier stuff and for me The Kiss of Death is the best. Meantime is great too. I like High Hopes.

I really enjoyed Another Year. Wonderful, wonderful director.

Yeah, Kiss Of Death was crazy good. He's sort of revisiting the tense awkward moments he portrayed in Bleak Moments but less... bleak. Not sure which one I like better, haven't seen BM in a long while. Still, Mike Leigh has the potential to take Bergman's place as my favorite director.

Topsy-Turvy was incredible. Might actually be my favorite Leigh film now.