Life Is Sweet (1990)

[KilloWertz]

Life is Sweet Blu-ray
Life is Sweet Pre-order
Life is Sweet Review

This moving film from Mike Leigh is an intimate, invigorating, and amusing portrait of a working-class family in a suburb just north of London—an irrepressible mum and dad (Alison Steadman and Jim Broadbent) and their night-and-day twins, a bookish good girl and a sneering layabout (Claire Skinner and Jane Horrocks). In it, Leigh and his typically brilliant cast create, with extra*ordinary sensitivity and craft, a vivid, lived-in story of ordinary existence, in which even modest dreams (such as the father's desire to open a food truck) carry enormous weight. Perched on the line between humor and melancholy, Life Is Sweet is captivating, and it was Leigh's first international sensation.

Special Features:

• New high-definition digital restoration, with 2.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition
• New audio commentary featuring director Mike Leigh
• Audio recording of a 1991 interview with Leigh at the National Film Theatre in London
• PLUS: A booket featuring an essay by critic David Sterritt

[Scottie]

Looking forward to this one, too.

[Visco.]

Hmm, interesting.

[lolwut]

I loved Naked so I'll be getting this.

[rybev]

I WILL be buying this!!!

[rybev]

Screenshots (Criterion) http://blushots.weebly.com/life-is-sweet.html

[KilloWertz]

Life is Sweet Review

[AnamorphicWidescreen]

Recently watched Life is Sweet on the Criterion Blu, for the first time ever. Extremely good film, with a good mix of humor & drama.

[Show spoiler]It was interesting to see that the misanthropic, reclusive shut-in Nicola had a *&%$ buddy who came to see her while her parents & sister were at work...Not quite something you'd expect from a character like this, but Leigh does a good job of surprising you in his films...

Anything involving the character Aubrey was hilarious - he seemed to me like a Napoleon Dynamite-type; i.e. someone who thinks he's cool & hip, but in actuality is hapless & nerdy. Everything leading up to & including the opening of his restaurant was pure comedic gold - extremely funny:

The name Regret Rien - I personally would never go out to eat at a place with the word "Regret" in the title, but maybe that's just me Plus, the cheap & crass decor in the restaurant would definitely make anyone going there not want to eat anything, including the stomach-turning cat head on the wall & the faux fish tank with the fake/rubber gold fish...

[Show spoiler]When it was obvious noone would show up to the grand opening, Wendy told Aubrey that she could have passed out the fliers advertising the restaurant at her class. Aubrey stupidly replied that he didn't want just anyone coming to his place - as if he could afford to be picky

[Show spoiler]Aubrey's drunken & unsuccesfull attempts at seducing Wendy were hilarious; his knocking over the tables & then passing out was a fitting end to this scene...

On a more serious note:

[Show spoiler]The verbal confrontation that Wendy had with her daughter Nicola (near the end of the film) was quite poignant, and it was obvious it had been building up for years. It reminded me quite a bit of Maurice's blow-up at the end of Leigh's Secrets & Lies...

[Ray Jackson]

Can anyone recommend this picture as a blind buy?

I liked Naked a lot, but didn’t feel like watching it more than twice.

...Life is Sweet be different?

[xxnomad]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

Can anyone recommend this picture as a blind buy?

I liked Naked a lot, but didn’t feel like watching it more than twice.

...Life is Sweet be different?

Haven’t seen it in a few years but it’s way lighter and zany than Naked. Not Ha Ha funny but more “these are some wacky characters” funny. Aestically it’s way lighter too (no drab colors etc). And also, it’s a family drama/comedy (two sisters husband wife and resteraunt hijinks).

Naked takes a lot out of a viewer. This one was an easy breeze. Personally I’m waiting until I get it for 15/16$ used, if that makes sense.

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by xxnomad

Haven’t seen it in a few years but it’s way lighter and zany than Naked. Not Ha Ha funny but more “these are some wacky characters” funny. Aestically it’s way lighter too (no drab colors etc). And also, it’s a family drama/comedy (two sisters husband wife and resteraunt hijinks).

Naked takes a lot out of a viewer. This one was an easy breeze. Personally I’m waiting until I get it for 15/16$ used, if that makes sense.

Would you say it’s the type of picture that’s highly rewatchable?

Good?

Great?

...just okay?

[ko8ebryant24]

BFI BD vs Criterion BD

https://slow.pics/c/q69WPPxQ