"What always happens is that I'll get an actor to come along, and I'll say: 'I can't tell you what the film is going to be about, but we will collaborate on the creation of a character." –Mike Leigh
Known for his long rehearsal periods and intensely collaborative relationship with actors, over the course of his career Mike Leigh has coaxed some of the greatest performances in the history of cinema out of his motley crew of regular collaborators – a who’s who of British greats that covers everyone from Lesley Manville to David Thewlis.
His films – on the surface seemingly concerned with small-scale domestic dramas – always reveal themselves to be deeply empathetic character studies, shot through with his distinctive sense of black humour. To mark the release of Hard Truths this month, his first contemporary-set film in 15 years, we’re revisiting some of the greatest hits from across his career.
Programmed by Broadway Cinema’s Kate Wood
