High Hopes

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helder f An interesting social comedy that contrasts people across generations and cultures. A lot is left unsaid but one is left wondering.,. Sitting sort of on top of it all:. A couple who seems to live a happy life despite the adversity around them. A recipe that Leigh will repeat in “another year.” Around the couple, we have the man’s relatives: his bitter mother, his sister who’s a nouveau rich , and his brother in law, a capitalist not very scrupulous. We have also a few friends and a strange visitor. Everyone is equally likable or dislikable. Everyone in their own right seems to carry their own history and their own perspective, but unlike to try to understand others’ perspective. What do you want? A question that not even oneself seems to be able answer. But they eventually sort some answers out Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 08/09/24 Full Review Kyle J Contrasting characters with both humour and sadness the film wanders into many crevices depicting life struggles and means to cope. Mike Leith does have his formula but true to life it is a relief from Hollywood. However, some of the music is dire and seems to also repeat in several films. The ability to care for strangers is really the gold standard you can't run away from. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/12/23 Full Review Audience Member With High Hopes, Mike Leigh definitely made an effort to bring his own political beliefs and dilemmas to light. He made an even bigger effort to make the film look like a farse and hide insightful observation behind that farse. He also doubled down on a cast of caricatures, anchored by a single believable, relatable protagonist, and he mainly suceeded. The effect is darkly funny, though-provoking and sometimes a little kitsch (intentionally, I'm certain). Cyril is living in an unforgiving world disguised as a disgraceful circus, but cold nonetheless. As a proud marxist in Thatcher's England, he knows exactly who he is and that he doesn't belong and he's happy with it, but he has no idea who he should be and what he should do. He is as sincere as he is sarcastic, as compassionate as he is condescending because he has no clue what the world needs from him: neither his loving girlfriend with similar beliefs but different needs, nor his unstable sister or his apathetic mother. That is his little personal tragedy. In 1983's Meantime, Leigh asked the big questions through the little human moments, subtly, masterfully. This time around he skips some steps and gets right to the explicit political commentary. High Hopes would have benefited from a little more control on the story and a lot more patience with the ideas. Leigh's evolution as a filmmaker is visible. Somehow, he got more calm in his writing, but angrier in his direction. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/17/23 Full Review Audience Member If you can find it watch it. A wonderful cast of characters who feel like people you know. Even the silences speak volumes. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/23/23 Full Review Audience Member M-F-O 8.3 [Mike Leigh] Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/22/23 Full Review Audience Member Cyril and Shirley are a lazy slacker couple that takes easy on life. They invite strangers to stay in they tiny London flat, they never care much about money, they laugh together, they smoke some and they seem like a very great couple to hang out with. Cyril has an old mother he rearly get to see but he treats her well when he does. His sister and her husband is the straigh opposite of Cyril and Shirley as they jab around, always dealing with stuff and stresses out every little thing. Other people involved feels like lunatics, so the old mom and the couple seem like the only normal people here - and I dig it. This is portraying the 80's era of London with both working-class people and the snobby ones. Leigh captures the differences and views just brilliantly. Great charactes and a sweet film. Never flat out funny, never boring, but lovely paced and it's got a positive vibe. The characters are everything and Cyrils sister may be the most anoying woman on screen ever. Dear lord, she's something. Mike Leigh's non-TV debute and a good one. I've seen better efforts from him, but as the solid director he has become, this is not a poor film at all. It's actually very good. 7.5 out of 10 innit's. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/17/23 Full Review Read all reviews

High Hopes

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