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Life Is Sweet
As parents Wendy and Andy, Alison Steadman and Jim Broadbent give virtuoso performances: two adults who use fantasy, mundane work and a stream of banal chatter to keep reality at bay before a freak kitchen accident forces them to stop and take stock. They have two daughters to perplex them: one a plumber (Claire Skinner) and the other an angry anorexic (Jane Horrocks, unsparing in a gut-wrenching bulimic scene). Timothy Spall is hilarious as family friend Aubrey, a would-be restaurateur whose efforts to establish a gourmet eatery in Enfield collapse in hopeless, drunken farce. This is not an overtly political film, but the sense of a stake being driven through the heart of the 1980s enterprise culture is unmistakeable. Inspiring. --Piers Ford
RRP: £16.99
Our Price: £13.90 (subject to change)
Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review
Life is Sweet, Mike Leigh's 1990 snapshot of the suburban family condition at the tail end of the Thatcher era, is often depressing and occasionally harrowing. It is also ultimately joyous, not just for the sharpness of Leigh's satire--the script was improvised with and by the cast--but also for the real affection that binds the family together. Through a series of minor crises, channels of communication silted up by the daily grind and terminal self-absorption are gradually eased open and the film ends on a note of genuine hope.
A bit pompous
Review date: 2008-03-21 Rating: 4 out of 10
I used to really like Mike Leigh, but recently revisiting one or two of his 'classics' I now see smug superiority and an assumption that all working class people have stupid voices - especially the women. Maybe the world has moved on, maybe I've changed, but just like so many of his other films, they are surprisingly patronising.
Good acting - Jim Broadbent especially - but somehow, the more you watch Mike Leigh's films, the more the flaws appear.
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Reviews
My Favourite Mike Leigh Film
Review date: 2007-11-19 Rating: 10 out of 10
As a director, Mike Leigh always seems to bring inspired peformances from his actors. This is probably my favourite of his films. The story is simple, involving a fairly disfunctional family and their eccentric friend (a brilliant Timothy Spall). All the charcters are lovingly drawn and the film switches between humour and emotion effortlessly. Apparently the film was only partly scripted, with the actors encouraged to improvise. The stand-out scene is that between Alison Steadman and Jane Horrocks, when forced to confront her anorexia. I can't watch that without being moved. An excellent, rewarding film.
Buttered muffins
Review date: 2004-01-23 Rating: 10 out of 10
"Life Is Sweet" is a few days in the company of a North London family, living a seemingly simple and uncomplicated life, although not without their problems. Daughter Nicola (Jane Horrocks) is suffering from an eating disorder, and parents Andy (Jim Broadbent) and Wendy (Alison Steadman) do their best to cope with the everyday frustration of working in uninspring jobs. Despite their problems though, they are a happy family, and as a result, make for very entertaining viewing.
Typical of Mike Leigh, this is a low-key affair, but the devil is in the detail as usual. And it's the nuances of the main characters that really give this film something extra. The cast is brilliant, especially Horrocks and Broadbent. Andy's happy-go-lucky antics are perfectly offset against the angst-ridden and depressed Nicola, but ultimately their family bond is strong. The supporting cast is also excellent. Stephen Rea in a rare humourous role plays Andy's drunken mate Patsy, but stock Mike Leigh actor Timothy Spall steals the show with the ridiculous Aubrey, an 'entrepenuer' who is trying to open a restaurant, but is never likely to succeed.
The dialogue is natural and unforced, and you really get the feeling that the characters are real. It's a simple film, and doesn't try to be something that it's not. Unaffected and charming, and ultimately hopeful, this is a rare type of film whose subject matter is simple family life, warts and all. But with a brilliant cast and some absolutely hilarious moments and lines, "Life Is Sweet" is a joy to watch.
The DVD spares little (infact nothing) in the way of extras unfortunately, but it looks and sounds so much better on DVD than VHS anyway, that its certainly worth having in this format.
i love this film
Review date: 2002-01-02 Rating: 10 out of 10
just because a film is on dvd doesn't mean it must have all these extra features and improvements. this is a fairly low key old film and there are no extras. it certainly doesn't deserve 1 star out of five for that because this is a spectacularly good film to watch. amazing acting and a very funny, and quite real story makes this one of my all time favourites. it is a gorgeous summery british film about normal family life, it is done in such a unique way with such quality and class, managing to avoid similarities with anything else. it is funny, sad, uplifting, depressing and above all a joy to watch!
Great film for a good laugh
Review date: 2000-04-28 Rating: 8 out of 10
This film is I think the funniest I have ever seen. It brings to light a mixed up family with lots of problems but projects them in a lighthearted way. Film stars Jane Horrocks who is fab in the role as anorexic daughter. Ok the DVD is not great so but it on video instead!
Product Details/Specifications
Actor(s):
Claire Skinner
Jim Broadbent
Stephen Rea
Jane Horrocks
Alison Steadman
Creators:
Alison Steadman (Primary Contributor)
Jim Broadbent (Primary Contributor)
Dick Pope (Cinematographer)
Mike Leigh (Writer)
Jon Gregory (Editor)
Simon Channing Williams (Producer)
Director(s):
Recording label: Imagine Home Entertainments
Manufacturer: Imagine Home Entertainments
EAN: 5025446000037
Binding: VHS Tape
Number of items: 1
Format: Box set, Dolby, PAL, Surround Sound,
Release date: 2000-01-24
Number of discs: 1
Audience rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Running time: 99 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1991-12