 All or Nothing 2002  R, 128 min.
Genre: Drama / Comedy
Director: Mike Leigh
Cast: Timothy Spall, Lesley Manville, Alison Garland, James Corden, Ruth Sheen, Marion Bailey, Paul Jesson, Kathryn Hunter, Sally Hawkins, Helen Coker, Jean Ainslie, Gary McDonald, Diveen Henry, Ben Crompton, Timothy Bateson
A member of the British working class, taxi-driver Phil Bassett (Timothy Spall), and his common-law wife Penny (Lesley Manville) share a loveless marriage. Their children Rachel and Rory (Alison Garland and James Corden) are experiencing lifestyles that appear to be going nowhere–until a tragedy hits that jolts them out of the lethargy.
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Another Year 2010  PG-13, 129 min.
Genre: Comedy / Drama
Director: Mike Leigh
Cast: Jim Broadbent, Lesley Manville, Ruth Sheen, Peter Wight, Oliver Malman, Karina Fernandez, David Bradley, Martin Savage, Michele Austin, Imelda Staunton, Stuart McQuarrie, Eileen Davies, Mary Jo Randle, Philip Davis, Ben Roberts
Gerri (Ruth Sheen) is a psychotherapist, and her husband Tom (Jim Broadbent) is a geologist. They are in their sixties and have been happily married for many years. The story is composed of segments of the year as Gerri and Tom are surrounded by friends and family who are not experiencing the state of happiness that Gerri and Tom are enjoying. Mary is one of Gerri's friends who visits and is using wine to try to get over her husband's leaving her. Gerri tries to fix Mary up with Ken (Peter Wight), but Mary flirts with Gerri and Tom's son Joe (Oliver Malman) who is much younger than she is. Mary is doomed to more disappointments when she meets Joe's girlfriend Katie (Karina Fernandez). And, Mary is just one of Gerri and Tom's friends who is suffering unhappiness.
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High Hopes 1988  PG, 110 min.
Genre: Comedy / Drama
Director: Mike Leigh
Cast: Philip Davis, Ruth Sheen, Edna Dore, Philip Jackson, Heather Tobias, Lesley Manville, David Bamber, Jason Watkins, Judith Scott, Cheryl Prime, Diane-Louise Jordan, Linda Beckett
Shirley and Cyril (Ruth Sheen and Philip Davis) are a hippie couple who deal with life among London's lower class in this brilliant satire on Margaret Thatcher's politics. Shirley and Cyril have no children, but they do tend to the needs of Cyril's widowed mother, Mrs. Bender (Edna Dore). Meanwhile, Cyril's upper-middle class sister Valerie (Heather Tobias) and her philandering husband Martin (Philip Jackson) ignore Mrs. Bender–until Valerie decides to give Mrs. Bender a 70th birthday party and invite the whole family. The family does get together with disastrous results, but Shirley manages to hold things together.
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Run, Fatboy, Run 2007  PG-13, 95 min.
Genre: Comedy / Drama
aka: Run Fatboy Run
Director: David Schwimmer
Cast: Simon Pegg, Thandie Newton, Hank Azaria, Dylan Moran, Harish Patel, India de Beaufort, Matthew Fenton, Simon Day, Ruth Sheen, Tyrone Huggins, Nevan Finegan, Iddo Goldberg, Ameet Chana
Dennis (Simon Pegg) is an out-of-shape slacker, but he did manage to have a beautiful girlfriend Libby (Thandie Newton). Unfortunately, Dennis left Libby pregnant at the altar five years ago and now regrets his decision. Matters come to a head when Libby becomes romantically interested in wealthy Whit (Hank Azaria), and now Dennis really wants Libby and his five-year-old son, Jake (Matthew Fenton), back. Dennis believes he can rid himself of his "loser" reputation and get Libby to care for him again if he can beat Whit in a marathon that Whit has been training for. And the race is on.
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Vanity Fair 2004 PG-13, 140 min.
Genre: Drama / Romance
Director: Mira Nair
Cast: Reese Witherspoon, James Purefoy, Romola Garai, Rhys Ifans, Gabriel Byrne, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Eileen Atkins, Jim Broadbent, Bob Hoskins, Tony Maudsley, John Franklyn-Robbins, Deborah Findlay, Angelica Mandy, Roger Lloyd-Pack, Ruth Sheen
A London lass, Becky Sharp (Reese Witherspoon), overcomes her youth as a poor orphan, earns an education, and begins her climb up Britain's 19th-century social ladder when she gains a job as governess for the daughters of Sir Pitt Crawley (Bob Hoskins). Becky marries Crawley's son Rawdon (James Purefoy), but problems rise to the fore. Now, Becky uses her wiles on the powerful Steyne (Gabriel Byrne) to gain yet another step up the social ladder.
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Vera Drake 2004 R, 125 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Mike Leigh
Cast: Imelda Staunton, Philip Davis, Peter Wight, Adrian Scarborough, Heather Craney, Daniel Mays, Alex Kelley, Eddie Marsan, Richard Graham, Ruth Sheen, Helen Coker, Allan Corduner
In 1950s' England, devoted wife/daughter/mother/housekeeper Vera (Imelda Staunton) also works on the side as an abortionist helping women in need of her services in her blue-collar town. When one of her "patients" ends up in the hospital, Vera and her family pay the consequences. Three Academy Award nominations were received, including Best Actress (Imelda Staunton) and Director.
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The Young Poisoner's Handbook 1995 R, 99 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Benjamin Ross
Cast: Hugh O'Conor, Antony Sher, Ruth Sheen, Roger Lloyd-Pack, Charlotte Coleman, Paul Stacey, Tobias Arnold, Norman Caro, Dorothea Alexander, Samantha Edmonds, Robert Demeger, Jack Deam, Peter Pacey, Joost Siedhoff, Vilma Hollingbery
Hugh O'Conor plays the 1960s' London teenager, Graham Young, who took out his hostilities on friends and family by poisoning them. This black comedy/drama should leave you thinking.
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| 1. All or Nothing (2002)
2. Another Year (2010)
3. High Hopes (1988)
4. Run, Fatboy, Run (2007)
aka: Run Fatboy Run
5. Vanity Fair (2004)
6. Vera Drake (2004)
7. The Young Poisoner's Handbook (1995)
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