As Lesley Manville approaches her 70th birthday, we celebrate the underrated doyenne of British cinema with a ranking of her finest screen outings. From Mike Leigh dramas to Hollywood thrillers, Manville has consistently delivered memorable performances.
In Luca Guadagnino's adaptation of William S Burroughs' novel, Manville appears unrecognisable as the shaman Dr Cotter, a role originally male in the book. The film features a bold 20th-century soundtrack and showcases Manville's versatility.
Manville shines in the romcom 'The Christmas Candle', playing a pub singer who moves from Liverpool to London with her restless son. Her cover versions comment on the plot, and scenes with Bob Hoskins add charm. In the horror comedy 'The Forgotten', she dons a hazmat suit and battles a killer fungus, a far cry from her usual Mike Leigh roles.
Mike Leigh's 'Another Year' features Manville as Penny, a mousy supermarket cashier in a joyless south London estate. The film is gruelling, with Penny not smiling until two hours in. In 'Ordinary Love', Manville plays a woman undergoing breast cancer treatment, with Liam Neeson as her supportive husband. The film avoids clichés and emphasises desire in middle-aged love stories.
After 'Phantom Thread', Manville found new opportunities in America. In 'Let Him Go', she plays a platinum-haired matriarch who wields an axe to protect her family, stealing the show as the LA Times noted. In Mike Leigh's 'Topsy-Turvy', she is sublime as Kitty, the patient wife of WS Gilbert, conveying mute exasperation and pain in a moving final scene.
