‘Another’ one bites the dust

Never count Mike Leigh out. The realist English director of Happy-Go-Lucky and Vera Drake returns with a new slice-of-life drama called Another Year. The film follows the lives of a happily married elder couple that encounters various friends and family members having considerably more drama in their lives. Jim Broadbent and Ruth Sheen play these lived-in roles while Lesley Manville turns in the showiest performance as a single 40 year-old-woman desperate for a true intimacy in a relationship. Hotly tipped for awards season, the film is currently available only in a limited release, so check local listings before heading to the theater. Rated PG-13.