Life Is Sweet
)
)
)
“A bacon egg and cheese roll, a tea, a bovril, and a large vodka”
Overview
Taking place over a few weeks in the North London summer, Life is Sweet has plenty to say about the enmeshed relationship of family and food. With dreams of starting his own food truck, catering chef Andy (Jim Broadbent) has bought a dilapidated caravan- much to the dismay of his loving wife Wendy (Alison Steadman), given his history of abandoned projects. Meanwhile their adult twin daughters Nicola (Jane Horrocks) and Natalie (Claire Skinner) are dealing with their own complicated relationships to eating, love and dreams for the future.
Why You Should See This Film
Wisely avoiding kitchen-sink miserablism, Life is Sweet indulges in bouts of melancholy but remains optimistic and slyly humorous, in no small part due to its perfectly aligned cast of Leigh regulars. In contrasting the drinking and dining habits of this working-class family against the grotesque wastage of their friend's upmarket bistro, onion crisps and a pint of lager versus tripe soufflé, Leigh examines consumption and purging across British culture.
Mike Leigh: Difficult People
This film plays as part of our Mike Leigh: Difficult People series, a complete feature retrospective that tracks the evolution of the British director’s style, relationships with long-term creative collaborators and his truly unique creative process.
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)