While we love to escape into other worlds and eras through brilliant television, sometimes you just need some straight-up relatable realism. We’re yet to see a role Lesley Manville has played that hasn’t blown us away – from The Crown to Mum. However, her portrayal of a down-and-out mother in the flawless drama All Or Nothing is undoubtedly her best performance yet.
The drama, which first aired in 2002, introduces us to Penny (Lesley Manville) whose family lives on a south London estate and are hardly keeping it together. She's stuck in a thankless cycle of rushing home from her supermarket job to feed her children, while her husband, Phil (Timothy Spall), is a cab driver who has resorted to finding spare change behind the sofa. The poignant film follows the interweaving lives of families on the estate – and then a family crisis changes the course of everything.
Intrigued? Here’s everything you need to know about All Or Nothing, including the plot, cast and how to watch it.
What is All Or Nothing about?
The film, directed by Mike Leigh, follows three working-class families who live in a south London council estate. The main family is made up of Phil (Timothy Spall), a disillusioned and cash-stripped cab driver, his wife Penny (Lesley Manville), who works tirelessly behind a supermarket check-out counter, and their two children, Rachel and Rory.
A fresh-faced James Corden plays Rory, an extremely overweight bully who poses countless problems for his parents. Things get even worse for them when Rory is rushed to hospital having suffered from a major health emergency during a fight, with Penny and Phil also dealing with relationship problems it's a turn of events that'll put everything to the test.
Meanwhile, the other two families have problems of their own. Penny’s friend Maureen (Ruth Sheen) is navigating her daughter Donna (Helen Coker) getting pregnant with her abusive boyfriend Jason (Daniel Mays). We also meet Phil’s friend Ron (Paul Jesson), a fellow cab driver, who is struggling with his rebellious daughter Samantha (Sally Hawkins) and wife, Carol (Marion Bailey), is also battling alcohol addiction.
Who’s in the cast of All Or Nothing?
The cast of All or Nothing includes:
- Timothy Spall (Death Valley) as Phil
- Lesley Manville (North And South, Mayday) as Penny
- James Corden (Gavin and Stacey) as Rory
- Alison Garland (The Bill) as Rachel
- Ruth Sheen (High Hopes) as Maureen
- Marion Bailey (Good Boy) as Carol
- Paul Jesson (Mr Turner) as Ron
- Sam Kelly (On The Up) as Sid
- Kathryn Hunter (The Front Room) as Cécile
- Sally Hawkins (Paddington) as Samantha
- Helen Coker (Nicholas Nickleby) as Donna
- Daniel Mays (as pictured above in Lynley, Mrs Biggs) as Jason
- Ben Crompton (Ideal) as Craig
Is All Or Nothing any good?
Yes – the brilliance of All Or Nothing lies in how poignantly real the families and their problems are. Lesley Manville delivers a mesmerising performance as a disenchanted mum who is simply existing rather than living. What's moving about her performance is how understated it is; she's quiet, withdrawn and seems completely checked out. While it’s hardly a light-hearted spot of escapism, it’s a deeply raw and important domestic drama that's well worth a watch.
How can I watch All Or Nothing?
You can watch All Or Nothing now on Prime Video.
What other Lesley Manville dramas can I watch now?
For something more comforting, we’d suggest Moonflower Murders. The sequel to the much-loved Magpie Murders stars Lesley Manville as Susan Ryeland, a book editor turned full-time sleuth - and she's absolutely exceptional in it. Moonflower Murders is available to watch now on BBC iPlayer. If you’re after a brilliant period drama, we’d recommend Harlots, in which Lesley stars as a merciless brothel owner, Lydia Quigley, in Georgian London. She comes up against her longstanding rival, Margaret Wells (Samantha Morton), when she opens up shop on her upmarket Soho turf. You can watch Harlots now on U.
