Tender Loving Care

In what he’s described as his last film, legendary British filmmaker Mike Leigh—the award-winning auteur known for his deeply humanistic and authentic tales of working-class life— returns with another insightful and compassionate exploration of family, friendship, and social woes. But unlike 2024’s blistering Hard Truths, Tender Loving Care is a gentler affair, filled with a tenderness and warmth not seen since such Leigh favorites as Happy-Go-Lucky (2008) and Life is Sweet (1990).

After a failed relationship, a child protection worker moves back in with her best friend, Rosie, who also is employed by the government as a social services officer. Meanwhile, Amy’s aging parents must also contend with the UK’s care services as they deal with the challenges of their advancing years. In Leigh’s inimitable style, the film is anchored by impeccable performances, without a single false moment on display. Through scenes steeped in the humor and hardships of everyday reality, filled with moments of song, anger, frustration, and frailty, Tender Loving Care is a profoundly moving story about how, as a society and as people, we must look after each other.

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