Reviews (13)

A VERY REAL & TOUCHING HUMAN FILM ABOUT THE "GOOD FIGHT"
"Land & Freedom" is the first commericial film I've seen that doesn't offer the standard one-dimensional portrayal of the Spanish Civil War (1936-39) as simply the prelude to World War II. Nor does it flinch from taking a hard look at the way that the Stalinist Communist Party undermined, betrayed and brutually suppressed their leftist political rivals in the Anti-Facist movement to secure absolute power. Here we get a glimpse of the bitter social struggle that sparked the war. Here we see, in beautifully understated dramatic realism, the humanity, selfless idealism and touching naivete of the thousands of young people from around the world that rushed to Spain to fight facism.

While the film's story is well-researched, written and presented, I think it loses viewers who are not familiar with the complex historical background of the Spanish Civil War nor the intricate ideological maze of the diverse political movements and points of view represented. "Land & Freedom" (which, by the way, was one of the slogans of the Spanish anarchist movement, the CNT-FAI, and not the Trotskyite POUM which the film's hero joins) tries to offer a comprehensive overview of the aforementioned. Unfortunately, it often comes across as a jumble of arcane acronyms and arguments.

One key point: the formation of the democratic peasant and workers collectives portrayed in the film actually took place under the auspices of the anarchist CNT-FAI (which, at the time, was the largest and most influential labor movement in Spain)and not the POUM. The Marxist POUM, while allied to the CNT-FAI, actually opposed this effort as detrimental to the creation a united anti-facist front.

This aside, "Land & Freedom" is great film. I highly recommended it.

Ken Loach is very accurate historically and politically.
Having talked extensively with survivors from the International Brigades and with Spanish Republican refugees, I find this film a very accurate rendering of the events which surrounded the suppression of the Anarchists in Barcelona during the Spanish Civil War. This film is also very close to George Orwell's vision of Stalin's betrayal of revolution, which set the grounds for Animal Farm and 1984. I recommend Orwell's book Homage to Catalonia to whomever found Land and Freedom of interest.

Land and Freedom
The acting in the film is exceptional, especially the female protagonist. The problem with the film is that it doesn't adequately develop its two principal concerns: the Stalinist/Marxist betrayal of the Spanish Civil War and the developing romantic relationship between the protagonists. Lesser concerns are left undeveloped as well, such as David Hart's life after his return from the revolution. All we know is that his granddaughter reads Hart's old letters and newspaper clippings after his death. The lifetime effect of the revolution on Hart is anyone's guess. The film's virtue is its historical accuracy.

The significance of the Spanish Civil War can hardly be explored in 109 minutes. The film needed to be much longer.

Similitude with homage to Catalunya
I rate this movie as one of the best regarding the Spanish Civil war. I really think it is very documented and shows a corner of that tragedy that needs more exposure.

The only small critizism to the writer of Land and Freedom is that it follows too close the steps of George Orwell in its masterfull Homage to Catalunya and the adventures of the hero of Land and Freedom are too similar to the autobiographic adventures of Orwell, also it oversimplifies the idealism of the social reforms that the anarkists and trotzkists were performing in the valleys of Aragon and the Ebro, disregarding the violence that sometimes fell upon their opositionists or presumed landlords. It was a revolution and as such it had its share of idealists , martirs and also criminals and violentists.
But anyhow the movie is a masterpiece.

a beautiful tragedy
The film is, as the war ,a beautiful tradegy. Ken Loach's genius shines through, as it did equally in 'Carla's Song'.

It is often levelled that the film is somewhat factually inaccurate. Don't let this put you off. The film is instructive in the mood and landscape of Spain; and the innocence and bravery of the Spanish anarchists and the international brigade. The story line infact mirrors amazingly closely George Orwell's semi- auto biographical account 'Homage to Catalunia'!!! This (as far as I'm aware) never gets said! Read and compare.... ... Read more

Amazon.com

Can we talk? Everybody is pretty well agreed that Great Britain's Ken Loachis one of our most important filmmakers. On the basis of his work withactors alone--often actors who are unknown until showcased in his films--hecommands a place in the modern Pantheon. The problem is that he soundsterminally "worthy"; his films invariably reflect a commitment to framingharsh sociopolitical realities and steeping us in the fight for justice, asquare deal, or a square meal. They sound, in short, as if they're "good foryou"--whereas the fact is that they're almost always damned good, period.

My Name Is Joe makes for an excellent introduction to Loach country--partlybecause it's just a tad more immediate in its basic viewer appeal. JoeKavanagh (Peter Mullan), out-of-work Glasgow housepainter, is a terrificallyattractive fellow, and though he's also a recovering alcoholic, he seemseminently pulled-together and ready for yeoman service as a movie leadingman. The main story line concerns his encounter with and growing attractionto a smart social worker (Louise Goodall). There's nothing star-crossedabout their potential love, but each is tough enough to set limits tillthey've traveled over a distance of mutual ground. Meanwhile, Joe's statusas role model among his more emotionally and economically precariousneighbors--an extended family of man--is good for a surprising number oflusty laughs and one fatal, criminal complication that could jeopardize hisfuture. Peter Mullan won a well-deserved Best Actor award at Cannes in 1998,and subsequently directed a family comedy-drama of his own, Orphans. --Richard T. Jameson ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Loach does it again
I think I liked "Raining Stones" better, but this movie captured me mainly because of its strong script and magnificent acting (Wow! for Peter Mullan). The critics who stuffed the VideoHound movie guide with their babble only attributed two of their "bones" to this film. And they seem to be a little uneasy with the "difficult" Scottish accent. A little racist there? Get a grip folks, and, make an effort to watch and review a movie that could expand your minds. Don't stop, Ken!

Bleak, bleak, bleak, and wonderful
I expected this to be good. I was still surprised by how good it was. However, it's bleak, bleak, bleak. It's a black comedy in the same vein Delicatessen is a black comedy-- you'll laugh, but don't rent this on the same day you buy a new package of razor blades. The acting is some of the best deadpan I've seen in years, and it works-- the parallel between Sabine, the junkie, and life in a dead Scottish town is a little too in-the-face at times, but it's still handled with sharp-tongued wit throughout. The camerawork is somewhat uninspiring, but we should be used to that in things coming out of the British Isles these days. Besides, it doesn't have to be good. The characters carry this one. But prepare to be depressed, and you'll want to keep away from sharp objects during the last ten minutes.

`What Could I Do???'
Cripes, but this is one bleak, beautiful movie. Plot is a recovering Scottish alcoholic house painting soccer coach, while pursuing a budding romance with a social worker, finds himself taking on the responsibility of one of his drug-addicted soccer charges who owes money to a local gang boss.

This is drama in its highest form. This is a movie on par with the greatest moral dramas the cinema has ever produced (On The Waterfront, The Lost Weekend, etc).

Okay, its bleak, but don't go into this expecting some utterly incomprehensible European mess -the characters in this are readily accessible blue collar `joes' with realistic problems, and when they are being good you get a warm feeling, and when they connect you want to cheer, and by golly, when they fail you are as shattered as if it was you or someone you know on the screen. The characters do speak with a heavy Scot accent, but I really wish I could've turned the subtitles off - I felt like somebody somewhere assumed I wouldn't understand it, and with the crutch of subtitles I really have no hope of attempting to (and they're a little distracting from the screen when perhaps they don't even need to be there).

Peter Mullan's performance as Joe was the very best of that year - how the American Academy passed over this film is God's own wonder. It is a heartbreaking masterpiece.

The Fruits Of Great Britain's Disastrous Welfare Policies
This story clearly points out why the British Isles have economically fallen behind even Italy in gross national product. Director, Ken Loach, allows us a peek into the sad destructive results of the socialist nanny state prevailing in the British Isles. Joe is supposedly a sign painter who has plenty of time to coach a soccer team, but rarely does anything to earn a living. He knows that he will get his welfare check, and there is little reason to search for steady employment. Joe reminds one of the comic strip character, Andy Capp. There is an insightful scene in the movie where Joe rages at a welfare official who has photographed him earning money under the table. Joe is not in the least bit apologetic for violating the rules, but instead argues that he is still entitled to his parasitical allowance! The government owes him a living, and that's all there is to it. We meet Joe's social worker girlfriend and soccer team buddies. The former serves a governmental welfare agency that does its best to further a therapeutic enabling milieu. The buddies are drug users and part time thieves. Everyone of them is chronologically between the ages of 20 to 40, but none have any interest in assuming adult responsibilities.

Joe is placed into an awkward predicament by one of the younger soccer team members who owes money to a local mobster. The mob leader according to the mores of the gangland social group refuses to cut the young man any slack out of fear of losing respect with his peers. This is where the movie truly comes alive and compels the viewer to pay full attention. The ultimate resolution of this crisis forces Joe to reexamine the direction of his life. The film is something of a dark comedy. Loach, however, has the courage not to indulge in sentimentality. There is no happy ending, and we sense that similar troubles await most of these people in the future. Only Joe and his girlfriend might possess sufficient maturity to learn from the final tragic event. I enjoyed this modest film immensely. Thankfully, I might add, the director added subtitles which helped me to follow the Scottish accent. I hope to see more of Loach's work in the future. The reader would do well in locating a copy of "My Name is Joe."

The Right Touch
All the reviewers here on Amazon have it right. The acting is spectacular. It's an eerie sense that you are spying on the lives of these people. The movie does start out on a fun theme and takes a serious turn - but that was the point. It's a common literary/cinematic theme for a decent man to help out a troubled friend and then set off a worse chain of events. From what I've read about Loach, he specializes in portraying the pitfalls of the underclass and of institutions - I am happy that he does not do it in this film with a heavy hand or with cheap shots. This film handles it magnificently.

Here is an interesting tidbit for you: The supporting actress, Lorraine McIntosh is (was) a wonderful singer in a Scottish pop band called Deacon Blue. Check them out! ... Read more

Description

An ex-con turns his life around when he joins a London construction crew. Music by Stewart Copeland. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Tough in the trenches.
In some ways I felt as though I'd died and gone to heaven the first time I saw Riff Raff, an out and out honest look at working class men of varied, and sometimes dubious, backgrounds connected through their work on a construction sight in London.

The cast of characters defines the term 'mixed bag'. I couldn't help but think of a half dozen or so Archie Bunkers on the job site, each one with their own set of priorities, talking about the most important thing in the world, to no one but himself. It all brings a smile to my face.

Our closest look is at Stevie (Robert Carlyle of "The Full Monty"), a former petty thief, who works with a crew converting condos for the nouveau riche, while he's forced to break into an abandoned building just to find a place to squat.

Director Ken Loach expertly focuses on the lower class in Britain (witness his brilliant 1999 feature-"My Name is Joe") where the honesty laced with humor of his viewpoint tends to provide humanity to an otherwise ignored sect. To shine a bit of light on an otherwise dismal existence as it may.

Loach's characters are never overly redemptive: they don't hit the lottery; aren't left millions by a dead aunt; or marry a rich suitor. And the ending here is a bit short, trite. But they usually come through the film a little stronger having weathered their travails, feeling a little better about themselves. I dare say we come through feeling a little better about ourselves as well.

Humor in socio-political contrasts.
The "American" subtitles (necessary due to the thickness of the various working-class U.K. accents) provide a very interesting view into this culture; although the plot is a tad thin, the film stands on its own through sheer hilarity of British labor-class machinations.I hope the DVD version comes out soon.

Good film ruined through subtitles
Intrusive, unnecessary and inaccurate subtitles block the image and completely ruin this film.

Good fun
Ken Loach's excellent eye for humour, which can go missing from time to time, is well to the fore in this highly enjoyable film. Of course the socialist indignation is never far from the surface, and if there is one criticism, it would be that the left's version of regional stereotypes is alittle too obvious. But there are many nice human touches and enough substance to amke this a film worth viewing more than once. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Elpidia Carrillo shines in Bread and Roses.
Bread and Roses shows us the world of the illegal immigrants in Los Angeles who clean buildings for sub-standard wages and no benefits. Life is a daily stuggle to pay the bills and put food on the table. These poor people live in fear that they will be fired without cause and turned into beggars. Often enough their worst fears are realized. They watch helplessly as their friends are demeaned, mistreated, and thrown out on the street.

A union organizer,Sam, capably played by Adrien Brody, tries to organize these frightened and abused people. He meets Maya, Pilar Padilla, who works as a janitor in an office building thanks to help she received from her sister Rosa, wonderfully played by Elpidia Carrillo. Maya has recently been smuggled into Los Angeles by "coyotes," men who take advantage of poor Mexicans who want a chance at the good life in America. She still has her hopes and idealism intact and argues with her sister to help Sam deliver his message to all the janitors at the building where they work.

Rosa has lost her idealism and much of her hope years ago. She stuggles to pay her bills, support a sick husband, and maintain her health and sanity, both of which she is in danger of losing. In the most moving scene of this film, or any other the viewer is likely to see anytime soon, Rosa explains to Maya how she has had to degrade herself to live and support her family. She is a good person who has prostituted herself to survive. Her description of the years she has submitted to the beastial behavior of the animals who prey on the weak and powerless women who want nothing more than bread to eat and a roof over their head will not soon be forgotten by any sensitive viewer.

For Sam and the union, bread is a start, but they also want roses for the people who clean up after us day after day. The message of this film is a compelling one. Director Ken Loach always keeps his eyes on this main theme -- justice for the underpriviledged in our society. He shows us the humanity of the real people who struggle each day to make a living, often without losing their dignity and sense of humor.

The entire cast turns in solid performances, but it is Elpidia Carrillo who shines above the rest. She deserved an Academy Award nomination for her startling performance. Her work in Bread and Roses is reason enough for me to recommend this film.

Si se puede!
This film is a must-see for anyone with an interest in how life can be lived in the United States in this new era of globalization. I am a sociologist with a professional interest in undocumented Mexican immigrants who was also a long-time resident of Los Angeles during the period, 1999-2000, in which the events of this film take place. Accordingly, I am well familiar with the Justice for Janitors campaign with its powerful slogan, Si se puede! Maya, the heroine of the film, is young, beautiful, and determined, if not unscrupulous. At the film's beginning, we see her entering the United States from Mexico in a group guided by two coyotes. Upon arrival in Los Angeles, she is expecting her sister Rosa to have the money to pay for her clandestine passage. However, her sister, because her husband is very sick with diabetes, does not have the money to pay the coyotes. The two toss a coin to decide which of them will spend the night with her so that she can repay her financial debt in kind. The winner takes her to his apartment. While taking a shower, he anticipates her seduction. However, she robs him of all his money, steals his fancy cowboy boots and escapes. She obtains a job as a janitor in the large downtown office building where her sister also works. Because she is undocumented she has to pay her supervisor, Freddie Perez, her first month's salary, divisible in two parts during her first two months of work. Unknown to Maya at the time, her sister only got the job for Maya after Rosa had agreed to sleep with Perez. Working in the office building, Maya soon meets the two men who provide the romantic action for the film: Sam Schapiro, the young and intellectual union organizer, and Ruben, a fellow Mexican immigrant janitor, who has hopes of attending the University of Southern California on a scholarship. The contrast between Maya's status and that of Sam is extreme. In one of the most poignant moments of the film, Maya asks Sam, "What do you have to lose?" The bitter-sweet ending left me in tears.

The next DeNiro
I just finished watching the movie, and Brody has such an incredibly subtle, yet powerful performance, I rank him as the of the next greatest actors of his generation. The supporting cast comprised of actors with little or no name attached to them are incredible and memorable. George Lopez delivers an outstanding performance. For those who are only familiar with his comedy, this film sheds a new light on a very talented man. The acting and writing are outstanding, to a point that you really forget that you are not watching just another day in the life of these characters.

MOSTLY HARMLESS
A fairly decent attempt at portraying the struggles of hispanic immigrants in America. A little heavy handed at times - Rosa's big speech to Maya explaining why she does the things she does - the forman's two dimensional character - and of course, the really, really sick husband. Things are bad for illegal immigrants and this movie goes out of its way to make things even worse for its characters by compounding multiple problems just to make sure the viewer understands what hardships these people endure. I didn't feel enlightened at movie's end because I think you'd have to live in a box not to have some idea that things are tough for them. I thought Brody's performance was good - he has a particular knack for delivering realistic dialog (see The Pianist for confirmation of his skill). Overall, not a bad movie, but not brilliant nor shocking.

IT'S A GEM!!!!!
It is such a treat to see a film that tells a story so beautifully. I laughed, I cried and loved every moment of this emotional rollercoaster ride.

I was also glad to watch a true FILM, about REAL people.
The other pleasure was to watch strong women characters in a film which were perfectly portrayed by the Latina actresses.

This has been added to my list of favorite films. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Hard edged and realistic
I'm biased. Two of my friends are in this film (Patrick and Anthony Warde) and a couple of scenes were set in their club.

That said, the film is realistic and set in real locations. Loach didn't have to build sets or work hard to convey the hopelessness of unemployment in a Northern town, the people and places did that for him. His talent is in bringing this to the screen and still giving the people the dignity they deserve as they struggle to make some kind of life in a post-industrial wasteland.

a film about dignity and respect
I try not to miss a Ken Loach film. Unless I'm ignorant about films, I find few directors nowadays tackling the issues of working class life in our modern capitalist society. When I saw this not entirely unbiased (not necessarily a bad thing) film I felt it was about dignity and respect. In his struggle to provide his daughter with the proper attire for a communion, the worker-father turns it into a matter of principle although linked to survival. At least that's what I got out of it. Check out films by Mike Leigh, John Sayles, Michael Winterbottom. ... Read more

Description

Robert Carlyle (THE FULL MONTY) stars as George, a Glasgow bus driver who risks his job by giving a free ride to a beautiful Nicaraguan woman with no money. From the moment that he sees her, George becomes infatuated. He soon finds her a place to live and learns the reason behind her sadness - her boyfriend has been killed by the Contras. George accompanies her to Nicaragua where he helps her come to terms with her past, and at the same time, discovers more about himself. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Great film
In this film, Director Ken loach sucessfully crystalized his unshaken belief on humanity.
there's clear difference between his former film "land and freedom", both films descrive one indivisual goes through wartime in foreign country and the end of personal relationship they confront in the middle of chaotic situation. However, unlike "Land and freedom", the hero,Jorge,bus driver in Glassgow,never has been politically motivated character in the first place. He went to nicaragua together with his girlfriend, Carla, to help her to face her past by finding her ex-boyfriend and to overcome inner trauma and scar. Jorge eventully started being frustrated with his powerlessness against the inhuman crisis ongoing in her homeland.
Contrally to "land and freedom" The story moves on from personal reality to political reality. Yet more importantly, this film beautifully captures one's spiritual growth through relationship.

I think that's what makes this film so real, powefull and thought provoking one.

ken loach comes to america
in carlla's song, ken loach explores love in the midst of hell when a reckless and irresponsible bus driver (robert carlyle) falls in love with a beautiful but suicidal nicaraguan refugee(oyanka cabezas). she is suffering from severe case of survivor's guilt and as the driver falls deeper and deeper in love with her, it becomes obvious that he is going to have to quelle her nigtmares and that means taking her back to a nicaraguan war zone to confront her demons. Ken loach's matter of fact ease with situational dialogue translates well into all of the necessary languages, and the result is a very special movie.

Excellent film
Possibly Ken Loach's finest work. If you only know Robert Carlyle from The Full Monty, then view this. Thee won't be a dry eye in the house. The DVD transfer is disappointing & the extras are minimal to say the least but the quality of the story & film making outshine any technical misgivingd ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Brilliant : a knock out film!
Since Frances Normand's boyfriend is murdered by british forces in North Ireland , she decides to investigate this weird murder , she plays the role of an American human rights activist .
A punch in the middle of the face , because it concerns about a conspiracy , cover up and ambush policial, inspired by similar events in 1980 .
Filmed in documental mood for Ken Loach. Briiliant performances of Frances Mc Dormand and Brian Cox.
One of my favorites political thrillers of the nineties.

INTERESTING THRILLER ABOUT POLITIC AND BETRAYALS.
*** ½ stars rating for this film. "Hidden Agenda" is a study about the corruption and betrayal that appear in the high spheres of the governments policy. "Hidden Agenda" is set in Ireland, but this kind of corruption could be found everywhere around the world, not only in these modern times, but since the beginning of the human society the corruption has been here as well, so the story that is told in this movie could have happened in every random country.

"Hidden Agenda" has a good cast, among them Brian Cox, Frances McDormand and Brad Dourif, and the movie also has a solid direction by Ken Loach. Without a doubt, "Hidden Agenda" is a good movie that will keep the audiences interested in the plot from beginning to end.

an agenda not so occult
This movie is excellent, but one thinks after having seen it that humanity not only has physical or mental limits but ethical ones also, and that is preferable not to rub them.
When I was a child I heard for first time to speak about the OAS, the armed secret organization that wanted to eliminate De Gaulle. Franco protected the OAS discreetly at the time in Spain for being related to the extreme right wing. The film "Day of the Jackal" shows these days.
Before that, my parents knew the "Maquis": the attempt of invading Spain at the finish of II World War across the difficult valley of Aran in the Pyrenees. These experienced "Red" guerrillas hardened in two wars and with allied armament thought that the allies would help, but it was not like that and they were exterminated by the Spanish army in a obscure but expeditious form. The last episode was that of the GAL, a parapolicial group which was created in the decade of the 80's to finish with ETA's terrorism, the separatist Basque organization. His methods were coarse and they performed brutally open confrontations sometimes even in the streets of France so the scandal was too big and Spanish government had to stop these crude actions. France protected for a long time ETA, going on to Spain an invoice for the episode of the OAS. Well, in this movie is shown an equally dark episode on the performance of forces against the IRA. I think "hidden agendas" are owned by parts, but not all the members of the different governments excepting when there are a dictatorship.

Disturbing, Accurate Depiction of British Rule in N.Ireland
This movie, like "In the Name of the Father" and others, will leave you appalled and depressed about the ruthlessness and deceit of the British rule in Northern Ireland (just as in the Republic of Ireland, before its independence). Frances McDormand is, as usual, excellent in the role of a representative of an international group concerned about civil rights violations throughout the world and, in this particular case, Northern Ireland. The scenes dealing with the IRA (back rooms, Republican clubs, etc) and the RUC (Royal Ulster Constabulary, i.e., the British police force) are gritty, sinister, and very convincing. Brian Cox, in a performance to match McDormand's, plays an honest investigator sent over to determine the truth of the killing of an American member of the civil rights organization and the progress of his inquiry and the roadblocks he encounters which finally defeat him and destroy his integrity are depicted with chilling accuracy. This is a gripping and, ultimately (sad to say),demoralizing film about the "Troubles" which still plague Northern Ireland.

Should you trust any government?
Charles deGaulle once observed, "The State is a cold-blooded animal. Often even to it's own people. It must be so in order to survive." This movie is about British agents operating in Ireland to quash any IRA resistance to British rule, by any means necessary and any means possible. To give some semblance of respectability to the investigation of the murder of a U.S. citizen who was in the company of an IRA agent when he was assassinated the British secret police employ a fairmined and respected investigator who really believes he is charged with the responsibility of finding the truth. The closer he gets to the truth the more pressure the secret police put on him to back away. First they use blackmail, then threats to his own life. He is forced at last to betray everyone he has made promises to and return to England without a shread of respectibility. The secret police continue business as usual and set about arresting everyone whose confidence he has gained.
This is a film noir that takes a back seat to none. Be prepared to be angry, depressed and paranoid at the end. Not for the weak in spirit. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

We the people
Ladybird is the story of a woman that can best be described as a 'townie' who loses one kid after another because of her uncorkable temper. When I say she is a townie, I mean she is a person who's watering hole, place of employment, and home are all in the same town. She will never leave this town. She first loses her kids after leaving them alone in her apartment one night while she heads off to her bar and one of her kids plays with matches and burns themselves. She meets a man, and they decide to have kids. The kids get taken away one after the next.
She has no patience to deal with the social services people who show up in her house and politely ask her probing questions about her family life. The system is slow and bereft of results, and she blows her top at it, adding fuel to the fire. The thing is, she is not a maniac. She knows how to express her feelings one way, and noone is cutting her a break. Watching this, I couldn't believe child welfare could physically remove children from their mothers on nothing more than a gut feeling that she was an unfit mother. In one scene she has her newborn ripped out of her arms in a hospital bed. She fights and ducks the system and sabotages her chances at winning every chance she gets. She does it for a reason- she has absolutely no faith that the system now or ever will work in her favor. The way she sees it, the system has marked her on their black list and however she tries to work with it will only be met with some formality before more of her kids are taken away. And that fear dooms her. You'll hear it from other people, but the screenplay and the acting are so realistic that the movie has the quality of a documentary- in scenes with the british police it's like there's a news cameraman in the room filming the proceedings. Very passionate and worthwhile... the movie reminded me of the last line of dialogue in The Grapes of Wrath.

Domestic violence
Had to watch this for a Family Law class. Very real, can be harsh. Extremely well acted, however, subject is very depressing. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Prolific director Ken Loach (Ladybird, Ladybird, My Name Is Joe) offers up another of his politically charged and emotionally affecting dramas in this 1971 British film. An emotionally fragile teenage girl (Sandy Ratcliffe) finds herself at the center of a raging tug of war between her strict and unsympathetic parents and the indifferent doctors charged with treating her. Forced by her parents to have an abortion, the girl begins a downward spiral into harrowing schizophrenia made worse by the bureaucratic nightmare of the state-run hospital, which treats her without compassion or regard for her situation, exacerbated by her own family. Loach wrings raw and finely nuanced performances from his cast of actors, portraying people in a working class with no perspective about the vicious cycle in which they find themselves, and no real choices in their own lives. A stinging indictment of a harsh and unfeeling medical establishment, Family Life is yet another unforgettable human drama from Ken Loach. --Robert Lane ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Compelling and very disturbing
I was stunned by this movie. The clarity with which Loach shows Janice's plight is heroic. I felt myself hating and wanting to hurt her parents for doggedly draining any spark of life out of their daughter and then wondering if her parents really were to blame. And if they're not, then who is? The documentary style of the film was very compelling and I later looked up the actors' names on the Internet to verify that they really were actors. I'm not an expert but I certainly hope that people who are diagnosed as "mentally ill" today are treated with more intelligence and respect.

A tragic story of a mentally disturbed young woman
A vivacious mentally disturbed young woman is driven into a catatonic state. Her actions seemingly embarass her parents, who use this as an excuse to seek a more provincial form of psychiatric treatement than the healing form of therapy she had been receiving. I believe this film is inspired by the English Psychiatrist and fabulous author, R.D. Laing who taught, amongst other things, that craziness was a means to a cure. I saw the film when it first came out as a student at UC Berkeley, and have never forgotten the impact it made on me. A fantastic movie about an equally tragic tale of personal defeat at the hands of a collusion between a pair of uncaring parents and the mental health industry.

Antidote to Hollywood.
A young woman, Janice, in fragile mental health, is browbeaten into having an abortion by her overbearing parents. As her mental state deteriorates and conflict with her parents intensifies, Janice is hospitalised, whence she strikes up a friendship with a male patient. Disapproval from the nursing sister reminds Janice of the way she feels excessively controlled by her parents, and her subsequent rage results in enforced administration of medication. Periods in hospital are punctuated by dead-end jobs and further family conflict. Support from Janice's art-school boyfriend, who encourages independence and rebellion, is viewed with suspicion and disapproval by her parents. Consequent breakdown leaves Janice cutting a pathetic figure, lost both to herself and her enviroment. This enormously powerful, humane and moving film, shot in documentary style, paints a graphic portrait of a young person's descent into schizophrenia, and provides the perfect antidote to the mindless, puerile and irresponsible depiction of the mentally-ill by Hollywood. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

We the people
Ladybird is the story of a woman that can best be described as a 'townie' who loses one kid after another because of her uncorkable temper. When I say she is a townie, I mean she is a person who's watering hole, place of employment, and home are all in the same town. She will never leave this town. She first loses her kids after leaving them alone in her apartment one night while she heads off to her bar and one of her kids plays with matches and burns themselves. She meets a man, and they decide to have kids. The kids get taken away one after the next.
She has no patience to deal with the social services people who show up in her house and politely ask her probing questions about her family life. The system is slow and bereft of results, and she blows her top at it, adding fuel to the fire. The thing is, she is not a maniac. She knows how to express her feelings one way, and noone is cutting her a break. Watching this, I couldn't believe child welfare could physically remove children from their mothers on nothing more than a gut feeling that she was an unfit mother. In one scene she has her newborn ripped out of her arms in a hospital bed. She fights and ducks the system and sabotages her chances at winning every chance she gets. She does it for a reason- she has absolutely no faith that the system now or ever will work in her favor. The way she sees it, the system has marked her on their black list and however she tries to work with it will only be met with some formality before more of her kids are taken away. And that fear dooms her. You'll hear it from other people, but the screenplay and the acting are so realistic that the movie has the quality of a documentary- in scenes with the british police it's like there's a news cameraman in the room filming the proceedings. Very passionate and worthwhile... the movie reminded me of the last line of dialogue in The Grapes of Wrath.

Domestic violence
Had to watch this for a Family Law class. Very real, can be harsh. Extremely well acted, however, subject is very depressing. ... Read more

Description

Maya is a spirited young Mexican woman who is propelled by her dreams of a better life in America. After a close call with border guards and unscrupulous "coyotes" who smuggle her into the country, she arrives in Los Angeles, ready and eager to work. Her older sister, Rosa, a married woman with two children and a sick husband, is painfully aware of the realities awaiting Latinos in the U.S. But Maya is relentlessly optimistic and grateful for every opportunity, including the chance to join Rosa at her job cleaning office buildings at night.

Quickly, Maya's optimism sours. Her lecherous boss demands a commission of two months' salary just for giving her the job, the hours are long, the wages are ridiculously low, and there is no security. The janitors in Maya's group are always subject to the whims of their volatile boss. Only Reuben, a young co-worker who is saving his money to go to law school, imagines a better life for himself. The other janitors are reconciled to their fates, until Sam, a young and disarming union organizer, opens their eyes.

He explains that union janitors enjoy higher wages, paid vacations, and medical benefits. Maya and her friends should join the "Justice for Janitors" campaign, persuading office buildings that hire cheaper, non-union cleaning contractors to work with the Service Employees International Union. Surprised that she has "rights," Maya helps Sam to rally the janitors in her circle, encouraging them to participate in meeting and demonstrations.

Maya's political and social awakening is a difficult one. Her rush of empowerment is undercut by Rosa's insistence that her younger sister face certain ugly truths. Rosa reveals that she worked as a prostitute in Mexico to support her parents and siblings and that she had to sleep with her boss to secure Maya her job as a janitor. She does not believe in fairy tale endings and is opposed to any involvement with a union. She warns that if Maya persists in fighting for her rights, there will be a price to pay.

Buoyed by her optimism, Maya refuses to believe that she cannot win every battle on her own terms. Her generous, but foolhardy, efforts to help Reuben pay his law school tuition lead her to commit an impromptu convenience store hold-up, and she seems to escape undetected. But every action has its price. Just at the moment when the workers are successful in their efforts to unionize, Maya must face her own harsh realities.In a bittersweet conclusion, she experiences victory and defeat. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Elpidia Carrillo shines in Bread and Roses.
Bread and Roses shows us the world of the illegal immigrants in Los Angeles who clean buildings for sub-standard wages and no benefits. Life is a daily stuggle to pay the bills and put food on the table. These poor people live in fear that they will be fired without cause and turned into beggars. Often enough their worst fears are realized. They watch helplessly as their friends are demeaned, mistreated, and thrown out on the street.

A union organizer,Sam, capably played by Adrien Brody, tries to organize these frightened and abused people. He meets Maya, Pilar Padilla, who works as a janitor in an office building thanks to help she received from her sister Rosa, wonderfully played by Elpidia Carrillo. Maya has recently been smuggled into Los Angeles by "coyotes," men who take advantage of poor Mexicans who want a chance at the good life in America. She still has her hopes and idealism intact and argues with her sister to help Sam deliver his message to all the janitors at the building where they work.

Rosa has lost her idealism and much of her hope years ago. She stuggles to pay her bills, support a sick husband, and maintain her health and sanity, both of which she is in danger of losing. In the most moving scene of this film, or any other the viewer is likely to see anytime soon, Rosa explains to Maya how she has had to degrade herself to live and support her family. She is a good person who has prostituted herself to survive. Her description of the years she has submitted to the beastial behavior of the animals who prey on the weak and powerless women who want nothing more than bread to eat and a roof over their head will not soon be forgotten by any sensitive viewer.

For Sam and the union, bread is a start, but they also want roses for the people who clean up after us day after day. The message of this film is a compelling one. Director Ken Loach always keeps his eyes on this main theme -- justice for the underpriviledged in our society. He shows us the humanity of the real people who struggle each day to make a living, often without losing their dignity and sense of humor.

The entire cast turns in solid performances, but it is Elpidia Carrillo who shines above the rest. She deserved an Academy Award nomination for her startling performance. Her work in Bread and Roses is reason enough for me to recommend this film.

Si se puede!
This film is a must-see for anyone with an interest in how life can be lived in the United States in this new era of globalization. I am a sociologist with a professional interest in undocumented Mexican immigrants who was also a long-time resident of Los Angeles during the period, 1999-2000, in which the events of this film take place. Accordingly, I am well familiar with the Justice for Janitors campaign with its powerful slogan, Si se puede! Maya, the heroine of the film, is young, beautiful, and determined, if not unscrupulous. At the film's beginning, we see her entering the United States from Mexico in a group guided by two coyotes. Upon arrival in Los Angeles, she is expecting her sister Rosa to have the money to pay for her clandestine passage. However, her sister, because her husband is very sick with diabetes, does not have the money to pay the coyotes. The two toss a coin to decide which of them will spend the night with her so that she can repay her financial debt in kind. The winner takes her to his apartment. While taking a shower, he anticipates her seduction. However, she robs him of all his money, steals his fancy cowboy boots and escapes. She obtains a job as a janitor in the large downtown office building where her sister also works. Because she is undocumented she has to pay her supervisor, Freddie Perez, her first month's salary, divisible in two parts during her first two months of work. Unknown to Maya at the time, her sister only got the job for Maya after Rosa had agreed to sleep with Perez. Working in the office building, Maya soon meets the two men who provide the romantic action for the film: Sam Schapiro, the young and intellectual union organizer, and Ruben, a fellow Mexican immigrant janitor, who has hopes of attending the University of Southern California on a scholarship. The contrast between Maya's status and that of Sam is extreme. In one of the most poignant moments of the film, Maya asks Sam, "What do you have to lose?" The bitter-sweet ending left me in tears.

The next DeNiro
I just finished watching the movie, and Brody has such an incredibly subtle, yet powerful performance, I rank him as the of the next greatest actors of his generation. The supporting cast comprised of actors with little or no name attached to them are incredible and memorable. George Lopez delivers an outstanding performance. For those who are only familiar with his comedy, this film sheds a new light on a very talented man. The acting and writing are outstanding, to a point that you really forget that you are not watching just another day in the life of these characters.

MOSTLY HARMLESS
A fairly decent attempt at portraying the struggles of hispanic immigrants in America. A little heavy handed at times - Rosa's big speech to Maya explaining why she does the things she does - the forman's two dimensional character - and of course, the really, really sick husband. Things are bad for illegal immigrants and this movie goes out of its way to make things even worse for its characters by compounding multiple problems just to make sure the viewer understands what hardships these people endure. I didn't feel enlightened at movie's end because I think you'd have to live in a box not to have some idea that things are tough for them. I thought Brody's performance was good - he has a particular knack for delivering realistic dialog (see The Pianist for confirmation of his skill). Overall, not a bad movie, but not brilliant nor shocking.

IT'S A GEM!!!!!
It is such a treat to see a film that tells a story so beautifully. I laughed, I cried and loved every moment of this emotional rollercoaster ride.

I was also glad to watch a true FILM, about REAL people.
The other pleasure was to watch strong women characters in a film which were perfectly portrayed by the Latina actresses.

This has been added to my list of favorite films. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Powerful and powerfully moving
Pain. Redemption. Addiction. Sacrifice. Recovery. Death. Money. Life. Sex. Love. Rage. Unemployment. Crime. Honor.

This film has it all, one of the most powerful stories I've ever seen with "real" people, not stereotypical cutouts so beloved by lazy filmmakers and studio suits. The story chronicles the struggles of "Joe," a recovering alcoholic as he attempts to crawl back out of Hell and into honesty, hope, love, honor, daylight. It's not a pretty film in the sense of being "...and they all lived happily ever after," but hope shines the brighter for a darker setting. (The Scots brogue of the actors is so thick, subtitles are a necessity, not an affectation. Without them, I'd understand probably one word in 10. Maybe 20.) The film shines for never taking the easy way out, never going for that ... plastic "feel good" resolution, but never descending into "more angst-ridden-than-thou," either.

Breakout Performance for Mullan
Peter Mullan, who barely had a chance to mumble two lines in the over-blown "Braveheart," creates a gritty, angry character under Ken Loach's precise direction.

If cool, rumbling Scots like Shawn Connery or cheeky, frenetic ones like Ewen MacGregor are your cup of tea -- it's going to get spilled with Mullan's intense anti-hero.

"My Name is Joe" is so Scottish, Loach had to sub-title it so Yanks like myself could catch the words in the deep Glasgow brogues.

The story unfolds in a Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, only unlike so many shmalzy Hollywood drunken/druggie films, this one starts AFTER the character has paid his dues, sobered up and is attempting to find the sunny side of life in gloomy Glasgow where unemployment and drug abuse is some of the highest in the UK. Along the way, Joe (Mullan), meets a social worker, who he falls in love with despite their disparate pasts and he must save a friend from area thugs.

All in all the movie is an excellent look at a character who has fallen from the straight and narrow and now, forgoing forgiveness or penance, only wants to get back on it and on with his life. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

We the people
Ladybird is the story of a woman that can best be described as a 'townie' who loses one kid after another because of her uncorkable temper. When I say she is a townie, I mean she is a person who's watering hole, place of employment, and home are all in the same town. She will never leave this town. She first loses her kids after leaving them alone in her apartment one night while she heads off to her bar and one of her kids plays with matches and burns themselves. She meets a man, and they decide to have kids. The kids get taken away one after the next.
She has no patience to deal with the social services people who show up in her house and politely ask her probing questions about her family life. The system is slow and bereft of results, and she blows her top at it, adding fuel to the fire. The thing is, she is not a maniac. She knows how to express her feelings one way, and noone is cutting her a break. Watching this, I couldn't believe child welfare could physically remove children from their mothers on nothing more than a gut feeling that she was an unfit mother. In one scene she has her newborn ripped out of her arms in a hospital bed. She fights and ducks the system and sabotages her chances at winning every chance she gets. She does it for a reason- she has absolutely no faith that the system now or ever will work in her favor. The way she sees it, the system has marked her on their black list and however she tries to work with it will only be met with some formality before more of her kids are taken away. And that fear dooms her. You'll hear it from other people, but the screenplay and the acting are so realistic that the movie has the quality of a documentary- in scenes with the british police it's like there's a news cameraman in the room filming the proceedings. Very passionate and worthwhile... the movie reminded me of the last line of dialogue in The Grapes of Wrath.

Domestic violence
Had to watch this for a Family Law class. Very real, can be harsh. Extremely well acted, however, subject is very depressing. ... Read more