All or Nothing

British filmmaker Mike Leigh returns to the kind of slice-of-life, kitchen-sink comedy-drama that’s always been his stock in trade. Here, he examines the quietly desperate lives of a blue-collar English couple (Timothy Spall and Lesley Manville), their grown children (Alison Garland and James Corden) and their housing-project neighbors. When Leigh’s freeform, semi-improvisational style works, he draws performances of almost amazing depth from his actors. But, when it doesn’t—and it doesn’t entirely work here—his movies can seem as though they’re idling in neutral, waiting for the gearshift to kick in. The gears grind and pop quite a bit this time, as Leigh tinkers with subplots before finally deciding where he wants to go. The resolution is hasty, even glib, but rather sweet and touching for all that.