Mike Leigh

Michael Mike Leigh OBE born 20 February 1943 is a British writer and director of film and theatre He studied theatre at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and studied further at the Camberwell School of Art and the Central School of Art and Design He began as a theatre director and playwright in the mid 1960s In the 1970s and 1980s his career moved between work for the theatre and making films for BBC Television many of which were characterized by a gritty kitchen sink realism style His wellknown films include Life is Sweet 1990 the comedydrama Career Girls 1997 the Gilbert and Sullivan biopic Topsy Turvy 1999 and the bleak workingclass drama All or Nothing 2002 His most notable works are arguably Naked 1993 for which he won the Best Director Award at Cannes the BAFTAwinning and Oscarnominated Palme dOr winner Secrets Lies 1996 and Golden Lion winner Vera Drake 2004 His films and stage plays according to the critic Michael Coveney comprise a distinctive homogenous body of work which stands comparison with anyones in the British theatre and cinema over the same period  Coveney further noted Leighs role in helping to create stars Liz Smith in Hard Labour Alison Steadman in Abigails Party Brenda Blethyn in GrownUps Antony Sher in GoosePimples Gary Oldman and Tim Roth in Meantime Jane Horrocks in Life is Sweet David Thewlis in Naked and remarked that the list of actors who have worked with him over the years including Sheila Kelley Paul Jesson Phil Daniels Lindsay Duncan Lesley Sharp Kathy Burke Stephen Rea Eric Richard Julie Walters comprises an impressive almost representative nucleus of outstanding British acting talent  Ian Buruma writing in the New York Review of Books in January 1994 noted It is hard to get on a London bus or listen to the people at the next table in a cafeteria without thinking of Mike Leigh Like other wholly original artists he has staked out his own territory Leighs London is as distinctive as Fellinis Rome or Ozus Tokyo Description above from the Wikipedia article Mike Leigh licensed under CCBYSA full list of contributors on Wikipedia