
Watching him in this role brought to mind one of James Corden’s early acting performances, a stark contrast to his current work. In Mike Leigh’s moving but somber 2002 film, All or Nothing, Corden played Rory, a troubled teenager who suffers a heart attack during an argument. The film featured a talented cast including Timothy Spall, Leslie Manville, Ruth Sheen, and a young Sally Hawkins, and Corden more than held his own. Rory is a typical Leigh character – flawed and often unlikeable, yet deeply human. When All or Nothing was first released, Corden was relatively unknown, though he’d gained some recognition for his role in the British series Fat Friends. I certainly didn’t recognize him then. Revisiting the film years later for its restoration, I was surprised to realize that this gruff, unpleasant young man would become the upbeat TV host and personality we know today.