Tender Loving Care

Mike Leigh is a giant of cinema. Like his fellow colossus of British social realism, Ken Loach, he continues to make award-winning films into his eighties. Whereas Loach’s I, Daniel Blake won the Palme d’Or at Cannes, Leigh took the Golden Shell at San Sebastián for Tender Loving Care, a film he says is ‘very likely’ to be his last. If this is to be his swan song, it’s a fitting final look at ordinary British life from one of its most extraordinary filmmakers.

Set in the world of social work, Tender Loving Care centres on Amy (Kate O’Flynn), a child protection specialist who welcomes her friend Rosie (Alice Bailey Johnson) into her home following the end of her long-term relationship. These thirtysomething women don’t have much luck with men, but they always have each other’s understanding and support. They also have Amy’s retired parents, Birdie and Geoff, played by Marion Bailey and Paul Jesson, whose concern about the direction of their lives is never intrusive. They represent the kind of loving, supportive relationship that Amy and Rosie might hope to find themselves one day. Together, they are among the most endearing characters Leigh has ever portrayed.

Some may think this is Leigh going soft, particularly when contrasted with the eccentricities and contradictions of the central characters in Naked, Happy-Go-Lucky and Vera Drake. But being with Birdie and Geoff makes you want to drink a warm cuppa and cuddle up on the sofa. Perhaps this is the point Leigh has been making throughout his career: that, at heart, most people have good intentions, and it is circumstances rather than intent that push them to the brink.

They are among the most endearing characters Leigh has ever portrayed

The film is centred on female friendship, but Leigh, as is his habit, also takes us into the lives of those in need: single mothers, the elderly and abandoned teenagers. Their stories provide some of the film’s most heartbreaking moments, touching on mental health, addiction and the struggles of modern life. These characters remain on the periphery, their experiences illuminating a world that would undoubtedly be a better place if we all had an Amy or a Rosie by our side. Alas, these women barely have enough time for themselves, let alone anyone else.

And yet Leigh shows just how much time he has for them, by keeping out of view the men who have disappointed them. Everything is directed towards showing the support that makes people feel safe. At a time of trolling, a cost-of-living crisis and smartphone addiction, there is something pleasing about a story so intent on showing us what basic human decency looks like.

In UK and Ireland cinemas Feb 12, 2027.