Synopses & Reviews
Mike Leigh may well be Britain's greatest living film director; his world-view has permeated our national consciousness. This book gives detailed readings of the nine feature films he has made for the cinema, as well as an overview of his work for television. Written with the co-operation of Leigh himself, this is the first study of his work to challenge the critical privileging of realism in histories of the British cinema, placing the emphasis instead on the importance of comedy and humor: of jokes and their functions, of laughter as a survival mechanism, and of characterizations and situations that disrupt our preconceptions of "realism".
Synopsis
Mike Leigh may well be Britain's greatest living film director; his worldview has permeated our national consciousness. Written with the co-operation of Leigh himself, this book gives detailed readings of the nine feature films he has made for the cinema, as well as an overview of his work for television.
About the Author
Tony Whitehead is Cinema Programmer at Chapter in Cardiff, and a part-time Lecturer in Film at the University of Glamorgan.
Table of Contents
Introduction: "You've gotta laugh" * "Really wants to direct": formative years * "A kind of language":
Bleak Moments * "A long time in the womb": the TV films * "A different world":
High Hopes * "So long as you're happy":
Life is Sweet * "The future is now":
Naked * "Welcome to the family":
Secrets and Lies * "All these memories":
Career Girls * "Laughter - tears - curtain":
Topsy-Turvy * "Life's too short":
All or Nothing * "Out of the kindness of her heart":
Vera Drake * Conclusion: "The journey continues" * Filmography