Unanimously praised after its Cannes debut, Another Year focuses on husband and wife Tom (Jim Broadbent) and Gerri (Ruth Sheen). They lead blissful lives and are deeply content; happy to potter about their garden amidst the changing seasons. Leigh structures his film around a series of encounters that feel almost Rohmerian - friends and family drop by, occupy centre stage as they unload their problems and then exit. Humour is never far from the surface of any Mike Leigh film, but the mood here is more complex, revolving around the couple's close friend, the flighty Mary (Lesley Manville). Keenly observed, this is an absorbing, poignant and comic look at contemporary life.