It's not great by any means, but it's a pretty good movie that didn't leave me filled with regret for investing time in it.

It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Although I've seen many Ken Loach films, I'd never seen this film. Never even heard of it until I discovered the film on a French television channel. I have to admit to being a Timothy Spall fan because of his roles in many films and television series, "Auf Wiedersehen, Pet" coming notably to mind. His role in this film as "Phil" did nothing to dent my admiration for his acting. Loach, as usual, shows how strong people can be in desperate situations. While he is deeply in search of the lost love of his wife, he is suddenly faced with a, potential, family tragedy. This is were the most poignant, and emotional, scenes of the film come to screen. I don't think that the cost of the scenes from 1h44 et 1h55 (11 short minutes) cost 10 seconds of filming for films such as "Iron man", "The Avengers", "Transformers" or any other big budget film but those 11 minutes poured more emotion through me than any of those films. Thank heavens that there are directors like Loach that can bring us back to real life.

I had been warned about Mike Leigh's 'All or Nothing', by a friend, and so approached it with trepidation. However there is a lot here to be admired. Yes, it's a depressing tale at times, and this is lent a lot by two cracking performances from a wonderfully hang dog and passive Timothy Spall, and a cast-against-type turn from Lesley Manville as his shrewish wife. There is a scene when Spall repays his wife some money he has borrowed from her that just perfectly encapsulates the pain at the heart of their relationship. There is also some fantastic actressing around the edges here: Marion Bailey gives probably the most realistic portrayal of an alcoholic that I have ever seen on film, Alison Garland underplays perfectly in the aching role of the quiet sibling (that seems to have become a staple of Mike Leigh's dramas), and the wonderful Ruth Sheen gifts us a counterbalance in an optimistic role as the neighbour who refuses the be pummelled into submission by her daughter's foul mouth, responding with a smile and humour. Sally Hawkins also impresses as Bailey's gum chewing daughter, and makes for interesting viewing if you have already seen 'Happy-go-Lucky'. There are also some wonderful little comedy moments that punctuate this film if you can get your head round the bleakness. But Mike Leigh's forte has always been human relationships and he doesn't disappoint here. And around the hospital bed in the final scene Leigh gives us that slight taste of hope that has made the journey worthwhile. It's superior stuff.

I will not write a lot about the story since so much is already said in the preceding comments. However I will tell how I came to watch it. It was very late one weekday night and the rest of the family had gone to bed. I was dead tired and just about to turn off the TV - and there was this film, All Or Nothing, about to begin in one of the two non-commercial public service channels (which might be one explanation why it transfixed me - no interruptions with inane requests to buy anti-wrinkle cream). And I was just completely enthralled! I was dreadfully tired, my eyes were red and swollen from exhaustion but I just couldn't stop watching. When the movie was finished at around two o'clock my eyes were also red and swollen from crying - and yet I was completely sober and so unprepared for this absolutely gripping film experience with the most wonderful actors. One of the best ever!

Mike Leigh, in my opinion, is the greatest director ever! He needs no animations, CGI, big named stars or million dollar budgets to produce films of pure, simple genius. All or Nothing is no exception and is proving that as he ages his films have gotten better and better.All or Nothing reminds me of life on a council estate as I remember it when I was a kid. There used to be flats on our estate that, although not the same in appearance, where practically the same in their inhabitants: the drunk family, the quiet family (Phil's and Penny's family), the druggie families, the slightly odd kid, the angry violent boyfriend, the single mum with foul-mouth daughter. They were all there. Anyone who knows life on an estate like this would wonder how Mike Leigh can put together such an accurate snapshot into the lives of these families.Mike's films are totally captivating. To some, it might appear like nothing really happens in them, but what I see in them is a reality that is like nothing else on film. Sometimes they're funny, sometimes so almost unwatchably painful but never, ever dull or predictable.Once you're a Mike Leigh fan you're taken to a different level. I just can't take American movies seriously anymore.