The director Andrew Grieve was asked in an interview around the time of All Or Nothing At All's release why he would cast the affable Laurie, a man who was literally a household name in the UK for his comedy, as the dark and deeply flawed Leo Hopkins. Grieve responded that he “wanted to cast the nicest man in England” to play the morally bankrupt but charming hero of the story. Laurie’s humanity and vulnerability (poured out through his wonderfully expressive eyes) gives us a reason to sympathize with the character, despite his flaws. There is a scene towards the end where Hopkins is quite literally out on the ledge. He is responsible for much of the havoc and tragedy in the story and common sense would tell us to hate him. Yet, as he sits out there, his life a shambles, desperate and completely alone, we are out there with him, feeling Leo’s pain.

I think Hugh Laurie has a real gift for instilling otherwise not very likable characters with enough humanity and vulnerability to make them sympathetic. It’s an ability he had used all too rarely in those ten or so years between this film and when he shot the first episode of House, MD. But because we see Leo’s vulnerability and his conflict (portrayed so beautifully by Laurie) we don’t seek his demise, but his redemption.

Laurie’s performance in All or Nothing is beautifully crafted, layered, and underplayed to great effect. The supporting performances by Bob Monkehouse (also a comedian doing a very nice dramatic turn), Phyllida Law, and Jessica Turner as Hopkins’ wife Jane are also nicely crafted.

It’s great to see that Laurie’s success with House, MD has encouraged the producers of his previous work (ITV with this 2-DVD set, BBC with A Bit of Fry and Laurie, and the forthcoming DVD issue of the 2002 UK series Fortysomething, which will be available this spring) to make them available to us now.

The two-DVD set has little in the way of extras: only cast bios. All or Nothing at All, distributed by BFS Entertainment is available November 27. You may view a trailer of the DVD at the BFS website.