"All or nothing" was typical Mike Leigh. The acting was superb and the characters were realistic. His movies are more like a documentary than a screenplay. I become involved with the characters and I continue to think about them and their lives for a long time afterwards. The characters in this movie led bleak, sad lives. The small amount of happiness at the end of the movie isn't enough to overcome the bleakness of the story. I can't see how these people in the surroundings they live in and associating with the types of people portrayed in the movie could work their way out of their plight. Rory and Rachel are doomed to live in this bleak place. See, I get all involved with these characters. I think they are real. That is the power of Mike Leigh's films. This is a sad movie, an affecting movie. Ruth Sheen was the one bright spot, plus she has a lovely voice.
Review of All or Nothing
