Another Year...of patronisation

What do you want from your loved ones?

Awkward silences and knowing looks between them whenever you say something slightly inappropriate or forget where it was they went on holiday?

Perhaps you love nothing more than when they talk about you behind your back, and glance over at you proclaiming in a worthy manner: ‘Life’s not always kind, is it?’

Maybe you can’t get enough of it when they jump on you enforcing an awkward piggy back situation, indulge your over drinking and over eating addictions then wait until you can barely move before announcing ‘What are we going to do with you? You can’t go on like this that’s for sure.’

It may well be the case that your enjoyment just gets better as they then bundle you into a car to get you out of their house and back to the train station with their other boozed up – and not known to be a great driver at the best of times – ‘mate’ at the wheel.

You may even get a kick out of knowing that they warn visitors that you’re around in a way that you can’t hear so together they can share hilarious gestures about how they feel about seeing you again; such as pretending to hang oneself with a scarf.

Perhaps you’re simply not fussy so long as they bring sandwiches to your funeral.

Personally, I don’t look for any of these attributes in my close relationships. It was therefore of no surprise to me to see that Gerri and Tom, in Mike Leigh’s new critically acclaimed film ‘Another Year’, had so few friends.

Anyone who describes this film as ‘compassionate’ or ‘life affirming’ should take a close look at themselves and those around them.

Posted 08:04 PM on Tue Nov 30 2010

By Media Mogul

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