EVERYONE loves Mike Leigh - and not just the British, it seems. This Danish offering owes much to the renowned English director, who revolutionised modern cinema and theatre with his improvisational approach to developing characters and scripts.

Director Annette K Olesen reaps the benefits of Leigh's approach by adopting it with her own cast for this moving comedy-drama about the unforeseen consequences of a death in the family.

Like Leigh, Olesen developed her script through intense workshop improvisations with her actors, fermenting imagined characters and situations to the point where they took on a life of their own.

The approach pays off in spades, resulting in assured performances all round and a cinematic experience of genuine depth and realism.