All or Nothing (2002/I)

Director:

Mike Leigh

Writer:

Mike Leigh (written by)

Release Date:

18 October 2002 (UK)

Genre:

Drama | Comedy

Plot:

Penny's love for her partner, taxi-driver Phil, has run dry. He is a gentle, philosophical guy, and she works on the checkout at a supermarket...

Plot Keywords:

Love | Supermarket | Neighbor | Working Class | Taxicab

Awards:

3 wins & 10 nominations

Cast

Timothy Spall	...	Phil
Lesley Manville	...	Penny
Alison Garland	...	Rachel
James Corden	...	Rory
Ruth Sheen	...	Maureen
Marion Bailey	...	Carol
Paul Jesson	...	Ron
Sam Kelly	...	Sid
Kathryn Hunter	...	Cécile
Sally Hawkins	...	Samantha
Helen Coker	...	Donna
Daniel Mays	...	Jason
Ben Crompton	...	Craig
Robert Wilfort	...	Dr. Simon Griffith
Gary McDonald	...	Neville

Also Known As:

All or Nothing (France)
Untitled Mike Leigh Project (UK) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for pervasive language and some sexuality.

Runtime:

128 min | France:128 min (Cannes Film Festival) | Germany:121 min (TV version)

Country:

UK | France

Language:

English | Arabic | French

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Switzerland:14 (canton of Zurich) | Argentina:13 | Australia:MA | Brazil:14 | Canada:14A | Chile:14 | Finland:K-11 | France:U | Germany:12 | Iceland:L | Netherlands:AL | Norway:11 | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:14 (canton of the Grisons) | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Kent, England, UK

Company:

Les Films Alain Sarde

Quotes:

Phil: Funny, isn't it? Love. If you're not together, you're alone.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Film Geek (2005)

Soundtrack:

Stand By Your Man

Realistic, hard and dark, but also heart-warming

"All or Nothing" certainly isn't a movie for the masses and I'm sure that many people will never see it or even think about seeing it and that is a shame. It's true that it is a rather depressing movie, at first sight, when you don't look closer and don't get involved in the story. When you take the time to dig deeper, you'll not only see the misery, but also a beautiful thing called love.

In this movie we mostly follow Phil, a gentle guy who works as a taxi-driver and who lives together with his wife and two children in some social housing complex in London. His daughter works in a retirement home, his son hasn't got a job and his wife works on the checkout at a supermarket. They have the biggest problems to make both ends meet every month, but that's not Phil's biggest concern. He doesn't care much for life anymore, because his wife no longer loves him. But than something terrible happens to the family, bringing them all together again, as close or perhaps even closer as they have ever been...

This movie is very realistic, hard and dark, but in the same time it is also very heart-warming. This certainly isn't a sugar sweet love story like we get too often from the big Hollywood studio's. This is what real life is like for many people. It has a social engagement (showing that even in biggest misery, people still care for each other and help each other), that probably will never be found in a Hollywood production.

I guess it will be understand and loved more by people who like realistic movies in general and socially engaged movies in particular. I might even say that it will be loved more by the people who are used to watch other European movies (Scandinavian, Spanish, French,... movies often have a deeper meaning included). Personally I liked what I saw and that's why I give this movie a 7.5/10.