Mike Leigh's expertly crafted portrayal of life in post-Brexit England blends a leveling sense of humor, compassion and finely drawn characters smiling through their struggles.

The indispensable writer-director Mike Leigh, deep into his sixth decade of creating memorable works for theater, television and cinema, has gifted us with an unending stream of compassionate, unflinchingly honest but often funny perspectives of everyday characters in modern England. 

His latest film follows two social workers, Amy (Kate O'Flynn) and Rosie (Alice Bailey Johnson) who face, every day, a harsh reality: most of the people they try to help are too angry and withdrawn to even attempt to heal. Leigh complicates the story of chronically unhappy people with Amy's parents (Marion Bailey and Paul Jesson), whose long happy marriage seems to weather even the insoluble challenges of aging. Though Leigh investigates some bleak corners of British society, he once again works miracles, weaving together his unpredictable combination of pessimism and optimism to bring us, amidst life's sharp corners, profound joy and laughter.

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