|
|
Post by kijii on Jun 20, 2020 18:29:17 GMT
For a middle-class American, I find Ken Loach's films very interesting. I find them to be something like lessons in cultural anthropology. To being with, I cannot watch them without using the closed captions since the English spoken in the films usually sounds like a foreign language to me....rapid words that, at times, seem to be only grunts or grumbles. The films are totally different from those I am use to seeing...those that come out of Hollywood. At times, they seem almost too simple, yet they are very human at their core. He does not try to dazzle us with technology, apparent cinematography, costumes, background musical scores, etc. His films are almost always made up of chronological events in the main characters' lives. They abruptly change from one episodic scene to another without transition or filler, yet they always move the characters forward in time. The films seldom bring us to a nice neat conclusion--they just end as the began: suddenly. I started watching his films while going through the BFI Top 100 Films. There I found: Kes (1969) My Name Is Joe (1998). Since then, I have seen: Poor Cow (1967) Life with 'Joy'?
kijii
22 November 2016
Warning: Spoilers
This documentary-style film, based on Nell Dunn's novel, almost views like a home-movie. As I watched it, I kept checking to see how far into the movie I was and how much longer it would last. This, in itself, was not a good sign. However, Loach does use the environment and surrounding people effectively, with several close ups showing the hopelessness or boredom on people's faces. The main method of the semi-documentary is a series of episodic clips arranged in chronological order; often title cards are used to introduce the episodes. To me, the title cards suggest captions one might find in an old photo album. They are sometimes humorous and sometimes painful, but they help move the story along.
The film relates the story of a young North-of-London lower class woman, Joy (Carol White) in the early 60s. She is a victim of her class in that she has never learned to think about aspiring higher. Yet, she does persist and survive. At the beginning of the film, Joy is in the delivery room giving birth to her son, Johnny. I'm not sure if mass Western audiences, at that time, had seen many human births, up close and on screen. So, that may have been new to movie goers at the time.
The next scene shows Joy breastfeeding Johnny while her husband, Tom (John Bindon), scolds her for exposing herself, since he was expecting his mates to drop by the house soon. There are early clues that Tom beats and abuses Joy. Although the couple is doing OK financially, things radically change when Tom and his mates rob a store and Tom is caught and sent to prison for several years.
Without marketable skills, Joy drifts from job to job (waitress, model, etc.) as she hocks all of her belongings to make ends meet. When she re- meets one of her husband's old crime mates, Dave (Terence Stamp), she falls in love with him and they live together. Unlike Tom—whom she is now trying to divorce while he is in jail--Dave is fun, kind, and loving. Some of the richest and most beautiful scenes of the film reflect the happiness of Joy and Dave. But, when he mugs a rich old woman to steal her jewelry—coupled with his record of previous run-ins with the law--he is sent to prison for twelve years.
Joy continues to think of Dave. She also writes him and visits him regularly in jail. While she swears she will wait for him, she continues to have causal affairs with other men and lives from day to day and job to job. As Johnny gets older, Joy remains stuck...
Once again, to me, this looks like a well-acted, but poorly-photographed home movie. On the other hand, I may be missing the great movie-making craft that Ken Loach seemed to deliver so well in Kes but missed here. Bread and Roses (2000) Looks and Smiles (1981) I just finished viewed I, Daniel Blake (2016) Wow, Great stuff... with the CC "on" so as not to miss a single word of spoken dialogue. On deck for viewing, I have: It's a Free World... (2007) Sweet Sixteen (2002) The Angels' Share (2012) Hidden Agenda (1990) One problem we have here in the US is that most of his films are only in the PAL format. However, I have recently found some available for streaming on Amazon Prime. What are your thoughts and recommendations for other Ken Loach films? |
|
|
|
Post by marianne48 on Jun 20, 2020 20:32:34 GMT
I would have loved to have seen I, Daniel Blake on the list of Best Picture Oscar nominees for 2016. Superior to, and more memorable than, some of the others on the list. A very touching portrayal of how a lot of ordinary people live and display quiet heroism.
|
|
|
|
Post by london777 on Jun 20, 2020 22:33:01 GMT
I cannot watch them without using the closed captions since the English spoken in the films usually sounds like a foreign language to me ... I am English and I am in the same boat. Geordese is the worst. (And I use subtitles for most American films if they are available). ........................................................................................................ Incidentally, what is the difference between subtitles and closed captions? |
|
|
|
Post by kijii on Jun 20, 2020 23:01:26 GMT
I cannot watch them without using the closed captions since the English spoken in the films usually sounds like a foreign language to me ... I am English and I am in the same boat. Geordese is the worst. (And I use subtitles for most American films if they are available). ........................................................................................................ Incidentally, what is the difference between subtitles and closed captions? Yes, I know there is a difference. I was referring to closed captions. Since I do speak some Spanish and French I have noted the difference between subtitles and closed captions. |
|
|
|
Post by kijii on Jun 20, 2020 23:06:05 GMT
I would have loved to have seen I, Daniel Blake on the list of Best Picture Oscar nominees for 2016. Superior to, and more memorable than, some of the others on the list. A very touching portrayal of how a lot of ordinary people live and display quiet heroism. I totally agree Marianne, I just finished by 2nd viewing before my rental expired. This is a truly wonderful movie at its core. People helping people as well as a stinging indictment against governmental bureaucracy. Daniel : It's a monumental farce, isn't it? You sitting there with your friendly name tag on your chest, Ann, opposite a sick man looking for nonexistent jobs, that I can't take anyway. Wasting my time, employers' time, your time. And all it does is humiliate me, grind me down. Or is that the point, to get my name off those computers? Well, I'm not doing it any more. I've had enough. I want my date for my appointment for my appeal for Employment and Support. |
|
|
|
Post by rudeboy on Jun 20, 2020 23:22:25 GMT
I cannot watch them without using the closed captions since the English spoken in the films usually sounds like a foreign language to me ... I am English and I am in the same boat. Geordese is the worst. (And I use subtitles for most American films if they are available). ................................................................................................... Incidentally, what is the difference between subtitles and closed captions? I’m Geordie (Geordese??) so I don’t have a problem but appreciate that the accents are very thick! I always look forward to a Ken Loach film. Kes is one of the greatest British movies ever made, simply brilliant. I’d like to shout-out to his pretty-much forgotten kids’ period adventure Black Jack, which I discovered recently. It’s very low-budget but inventive and rather beguiling - far from his usual wheelhouse but much more successful than, say, The Wind That Shakes the Barley, which is the only Loach film I actively disliked. |
|
|
|
Post by london777 on Jun 21, 2020 1:18:06 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by london777 on Jun 21, 2020 1:35:51 GMT
Incidentally, what is the difference between subtitles and closed captions? Bump! I am still waiting for an explanation. I honestly do not know. |
|
|
|
Post by rudeboy on Jun 21, 2020 2:31:22 GMT
 No problem, I kind of like the way it sounds. |
|
|
|
Post by kijii on Jun 21, 2020 4:09:04 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by Stammerhead on Jun 21, 2020 10:16:11 GMT
I can’t say I watch Loach’s films for entertainment value but The Angel’s Share is the closest he’s ever got to a feel good film which was a nice surprise. We watched Kes at school and the ending was a real downer after going through hilarious scenes like the football match and the beautiful scenes with Billy and Kes.
|
|
|
|
Post by cynthiagreen on Jun 22, 2020 5:34:39 GMT
I'm a big fan of POOR COW and like most of the rest.
His best though is still the first TV version of UP THE JUNCTION from 1964 or so - Enjoy - no subs I'm afraid but the accents here are London so hopefully less challenging than usual
|
|
|
|
Post by kijii on Jun 23, 2020 17:06:28 GMT
Sorry We Missed You (2019) Ken Loach If you see this movie, you will fall in love with the family. This film--Ken Loach's latest--centers around a young British family living in the English suburbs. Just as in America, many British families have been hit with a sudden economic crisis that is not necessarily their fault.The family's financial crisis could be the result of a national banking crisis or Covid-19 However, when the father and mother, both have to start working 14-hour days and rarely get to meet together as a family unit, the children are forced to fill some of the gaps while still attending school. Sometimes, they are forced into doing unusual things in order to keep the family together. In addition, the married couple has problems with each other when their jobs start to interfere with each other and their totally necessary work. There is work overload and something's got to give. But, how will this totally-loving family deal with all this when there is no longer any time slack in their together time? Abbie Turner : This is my family, and I'm telling you now, nobody messes with my family.
|
|
|
|
Post by mortsahlfan on Jun 23, 2020 19:51:18 GMT
Best living director (not that there's competition).. If I have one critique of him, its that I wish he would have branched out a bit, like Mike Leigh, who is another living director whose movies I'll always check out.. Aki Kaurismaki, too.
|
|
|
|
Post by kijii on Jun 23, 2020 20:41:31 GMT
I Loved this movie!! If you have ever had to deal with an impersonal social service agency, while trying to talk to a real live common-sense person, you will recognize Daniel Blake's frustration, so well performed here by Dave Johns. Blake is a 59 year-old carpenter who has recently lost his wife, Molly, and had a heart attack on the job. Following his heart attack, he is given a clean bill of health by his "health care professional" during an assessment:
Amanda the Health Care Professional : Good morning, Mr Blake. My name's Amanda. I've got a couple of questions here for you today to establish your eligibility for Employment Support Allowance. It won't take up much of your time. Could I just ask firstly, can you walk more than 50 metres unassisted by any other person?
Daniel : Yes.
Amanda the Health Care Professional : Okay... Can you raise either arm as if to put something in your top pocket?
Daniel : I've filled this in already on your 52-page form.
Amanda the Health Care Professional : Yeah, I can see that you have but, unfortunately, I couldn't make out what you had said there.
Daniel : Yes.
Amanda the Health Care Professional : Can you raise either arm to the top of your head as if you are putting on a hat?
Daniel : I've telt you, there's nowt wrong with me arms and legs.
Amanda the Health Care Professional : Could you just answer the question, please.
Daniel : Well, you've got me medical records... Can we just talk about me heart?
Amanda the Health Care Professional : D'you think you could just answer these questions?
Daniel : Okay.
Amanda the Health Care Professional : So was that a yes, that you can put a hat on your head?
Daniel : Yes.
Amanda the Health Care Professional : Okay, that's great... Can you press a button such as a telephone keypad?
Daniel : There's nowt wrong with me fingers either... I mean, we're getting farther and farther away from me heart.
Amanda the Health Care Professional : If we could just keep to these questions, thank you... Do you have any significant difficulty conveying a simple message to strangers?
Daniel : Yes. Yes, it's me fucking heart. I'm trying to tell you but you'll not listen.
Amanda the Health Care Professional : Mr Blake, if you continue to speak to us like that that's not gonna be very helpful for your assessment... If you could just answer the question, please.
Daniel : Yes.
Amanda the Health Care Professional : Okay... Do you ever experience any loss of control leading to extensive evacuation of the bowel?
Daniel : No. But I cannot guarantee there won't be a first if we didn't get to the point.
Amanda the Health Care Professional : Can you complete a simple task of setting an alarm clock?
Daniel : Oh, Jesus. Yes... Can I ask you a question? Are you medically qualified?
Amanda the Health Care Professional : I'm a health care professional appointed by the Department of Work and Pensions to carry out assessments for Employment and Support Allowance.
Daniel : But there was a bloke out in the, er, in the waiting room, he says that you work for an American company.
Amanda the Health Care Professional : Our company's been appointed by the Government.
Daniel : Are you a nurse? Are you a doctor?
Amanda the Health Care Professional : I'm a health care professional.
Daniel : Listen, I've had a major heart attack. I nearly fell off the scaffolding. I wanna get back to work, too... Now, please, can we talk about me heart? Forget about me arse, that works a dream.
But he knows that this "health care professional" is just an empty suite, mechanically asking him routine questions and checking off the boxes as she questions him. So, he is no longer eligible for worker's compensation. He is cash-poor and must start looking for a job in order to receive his unemployment benefits. But, he is computer illiterate and must develop a CV (paper and digital), start actively seeking a job and do online searches to prove to the bureaucrats that is actively seeking a job. He knows he is not well enough to work yet. YET, he is caught up, like a pinball, in this social bureaucratic jungle over which he has no control. This is the ultimate modern day catch 22: he can't win either way since he is waiting for an official "decision maker" to make a decision for him. While in a social services office, he meets a single mother with two children who is also trying to explain her life situation to "the woman across the desk" too.  He befriends her and gives her and her children a place to live, thus beginning a wonderful symbiotic relationship with her and her two children. Daniel : It's a monumental farce, isn't it? You sitting there with your friendly name tag on your chest, Ann, opposite a sick man looking for nonexistent jobs, that I can't take anyway. Wasting my time, employers' time, your time. And all it does is humiliate me, grind me down. Or is that the point, to get my name off those computers? Well, I'm not doing it any more. I've had enough. I want my date for my appointment for my appeal for Employment and Support.The following in a Wikipedia plot synopsis with SPOILERS:
Widower Daniel Blake, a 59-year-old joiner from Newcastle, has had a heart attack. Though his cardiologist has not allowed him to return to work, Daniel is deemed fit to do so after a work capability assessment and denied employment and support allowance. He is frustrated to learn that his doctor was not contacted about the decision, and applies for an appeal, a process he finds difficult because he must complete forms online and is not computer literate.
Daniel befriends single mother Katie after she is sanctioned for arriving late for a Jobcentre appointment. Katie and her children have just moved to Newcastle from a London homeless shelter, as there is no affordable accommodation in London. Daniel helps the family by repairing objects, teaching them how to heat rooms without electricity, and crafting wooden toys for the children.
During a visit to a food bank, Katie is overcome by hunger and breaks down. After she is caught shoplifting at a supermarket, a security guard offers her work as a prostitute. Daniel surprises her at the brothel, where he begs her to give up the job, but she tearfully insists she has no other way to feed her children.
As a condition for receiving jobseeker's allowance, Daniel must keep looking for work. He refuses a job at a garden centre because his doctor will not allow him to work yet. When Daniel's work coach tells him he must work harder to find a job or be sanctioned, Daniel spraypaints "I, Daniel Blake, demand my appeal date before I starve" on the building. He earns the support of passersby, including other benefits claimants, but is arrested and cautioned by the police. Daniel sells most of his belongings and becomes withdrawn.
On the day of Daniel's appeal, Katie accompanies him to court. A welfare adviser tells Daniel that his case looks sound. On glimpsing the judge and doctor who will decide his case, Daniel becomes anxious and visits the lavatory, where he suffers a heart attack and dies. At his public health funeral, Katie reads the eulogy, including the speech Daniel had intended to read at his appeal. The speech describes his feelings about how the welfare system failed him by treating him like a dog instead of a man proud to have paid his dues to society.
|
|
|
|
Post by kijii on Jun 25, 2020 4:58:20 GMT
The Wind that Shakes the Barley (2006) / Ken Loach Ken Loach and his principle screenwriter, Paul Laverty, once again team up to present a story set during the Irish War of Independence in the 1920s. Two brothers fight together to rid the land of the English forces in the 1920s. Once a peace treaty is reached between Ireland and England which declares Ireland to be a free state, the brothers continue to fight for Ireland but on different sides. One brother supports the treaty while the other refuses to agree to the treaty because Ireland is not completely independent of England yet. I think the story of these two bothers presents somewhat of a personification of the Irish fight for Independence: The brothers don't agree on what is to be done at the beginning of the film: Damien is having a hard time imagining how the Irish could fight the occupying British soldiers with their superior forces in Ireland. However, once convinced, he is all in.. At the end of the film, the brothers, once again, find them on opposite sides in what might be called a post-agreement Irish civil war over whether to ratify the agreement or fight on to give Ireland total independence from England. Damien : How many British soldiers in the country, Tim?
Tim : Too many.
Damien : How many?
Teddy : About ten thousand, Damien.
Damien : Ten Thousand. Tans, artillery units, machine-gun car, cavalry...
Teddy : And many more besides. What's your point, Damien?
Damien : It's young men like Micheail we're talkin' about, Teddy.
Teddy : Micheail was a real Irishman, Damien.
Ned : You're a coward, Damien.
Damien : I'm a coward? And you're a hero, isn't it, Ned? You're gonna take down the British army with your hurley, is that it?
 tTThe following is a plot synopsis with SPOILERS:
County Cork, Ireland, 1920. Dr. Damien O'Donovan is about to leave his native village to practise medicine in a London hospital. Meanwhile, his brother Teddy commands the local flying column of the Irish Republican Army. After a hurling match, Damien witnesses the summary execution of his friend, Micheál Ó Súilleabháin, by British Black and Tans. Although shaken, Damien rebuffs his friends' entreaties to stay in Ireland and join the IRA, saying that the war is unwinnable. As he is leaving town, Damien witnesses the British Army vainly trying to intimidate a railway personnel for refusing to permit the troops to board. In response, Damien decides to stay and is sworn into Teddy's IRA brigade.
After drilling in the mountains, the column raids the village's Royal Irish Constabulary barracks to acquire revolvers, then uses them to assassinate four Auxiliaries. In the aftermath, Anglo-Irish landowner Sir John Hamilton coerces one of his servants, IRA member Chris Reilly, into passing information to the British Army's Intelligence Corps. As a result, the entire brigade is arrested. In their cell, Damien meets the train driver, Dan, a union official who shares Damien's socialist views.
Meanwhile, British officers interrogate Teddy, pulling out his fingernails when he refuses to give them the names of IRA members. Johnny Gogan, a British soldier of Irish descent, helps the prisoners escape, but three are left behind. After the actions of Sir John and Chris are revealed to the IRA's intelligence network, both are taken hostage. As Teddy is still recovering, Damien is temporarily placed in command. News arrives that the three remaining IRA prisoners have been tortured and shot. Simultaneously, the brigade receives orders to "execute the spies".
Despite the fact that Chris is a lifelong friend, Damien shoots both him and Sir John. Later, the IRA ambushes and wipes out a convoy of the Auxiliary Division, and in retaliation another detachment of Auxiliaries loots and burns the farmhouse of Damien's sweetheart, Cumann na mBan member Sinéad Sullivan. Sinéad is held at gunpoint while her head is roughly shorn, her scalp being wounded in the process. Later, as Damien treats her, a messenger arrives with news of a formal ceasefire between Britain and the IRA.
After the Anglo-Irish Treaty is signed, the brigade learns that a partitioned Ireland will only be granted Dominion status within the British Empire. As a result, the brigade divides over accepting the terms of the Treaty. Teddy and his allies argue that accepting the Treaty will bring peace now while further gains can be made later. Others oppose the Treaty, proposing to continue fighting until a united Irish Republic can be obtained. Dan and Damien further demand the collectivisation of industry and agriculture. Any other course, declares Dan, will change only "the accents of the powerful and the colour of the flag".
Soon the Irish Free State replaces British rule, and Teddy and his allies begin patrolling in National Army uniforms. Meanwhile, Damien and his allies join the Anti-Treaty IRA. When the Battle of Dublin launches the Irish Civil War, the Anti-Treaty column commences guerrilla warfare against Free State forces. As the violence escalates, Teddy expresses fear that the British will invade if the republicans gain the upper hand. His position is: "They take one out, we take one back. To hell with the courts."
Soon after, Dan is killed and Damien is captured during a raid for arms on an Irish Army barracks commanded by Teddy. Sentenced to execution, Damien is held in the same cell where the British Army imprisoned them earlier. Desperate to avoid executing his brother, Teddy pleads with Damien to reveal where the Anti-Treaty IRA is hiding the stolen rifles. In return, Teddy offers Damien full amnesty, a life with Sinéad, and the vision of an Ireland where Pro- and Anti-Treaty Irishmen can raise families side by side. Insulted, Damien responds by saying that he will never "sell out" the Republic the way Chris Reilly did and Teddy leaves the cell in tears. Damien writes a goodbye letter to Sinéad, expressing his love for her, and quoting Dan's words: "It's easy to know what you're against, quite another to know what you're for". But he says that he knows what he stands for and is not afraid to die for it and tells Sinéad to look after Teddy. At dawn, Damien dies before a firing squad commanded by a heartbroken yet obstinate Teddy. Teddy delivers Damien's letter to Sinéad who is distraught and heartbroken. She attacks Teddy and orders him to leave her land.
|
|
|
|
Post by kijii on Jun 25, 2020 21:08:19 GMT
Sweet Sixteen (2002) / Ken Loach This movie, spoken in a broad Scottish accent, is impossible to understand. One must use the subtitles (built in) to understand anything spoken. This film is about a 15-year-old boy, Liam (Martin Compston), who has dropped out of school. His mother is in prison, and his grandfather is dealing drugs with his mother's boyfriend. With nowhere else to turn, he lives with his sister who is trying to build a real life for herself by going to night school. She is a single mother of a young boy. Liam wants to get a place for hie mother when she gets out of prison. To buy her a caravan (mobile home), he and his friend get caught up drugs by stealing from his mother's boyfriend. He is later tested (and recruited) and a local mob before he joins them to get a place for his mom once she is released from prison.  The following in a Wikipedia plot synopsis with SPOILERS:In a few weeks, Scottish teenager Liam will turn 16. The film opens with him using his tripod-mounted telescope outdoors on a clear night to show other children the stars and planets. He and his friends exemplify the violent "ned" subculture; they no longer attend school, but instead, hang around isolated areas or wander about all day long. They get money by illicitly selling untaxed cigarettes in a pub, and defy the police. Liam's mother is currently in prison, for a crime she did not commit. She will be released in a few weeks, in time for her son's 16th birthday. She has a boyfriend named Stan, who works as a drug dealer with Liam's grandfather, Rab.
Stan and Rab take Liam in Rab's car on a visit to his mother in Cornton Vale Prison, and try to force him to smuggle drugs to his mother while they create a distraction. In the event, Liam refuses to cooperate by passing the drugs over. When driving home his companions beat him up; he fights back and gets away. Liam arrives back to find that he has been expelled from his grandfather's flat, and his belongings thrown down into the front garden (including his telescope, which has been broken). Liam then moves to his sister Chantelle's nearby home in Port Glasgow. Chantelle agrees to let Liam live in her house if he's good to Chantelle's little son, Calum. She has been taking free evening classes to get work in a call centre, and implores Liam to do the same because she wants Liam to do something more 'constructive' with his own life.
When Liam takes Calum for a walk along Greenock Esplanade, his friend Pinball arrives in a stolen car and insists on taking them joyriding along the coast. They drive up through the Cloch caravan (trailer) park where Liam sees a caravan for sale in a spot overlooking the scenic Firth of Clyde. Liam, who loves his mother very much, fantasizes that he, his sister, and his mother can escape to the seaside and live in the caravan, away from Stan and Rab's wrath. To purchase it he and Pinball steal a delivery of drugs from Stan's house and sell them, doing the very things Liam once hated – claiming that they will never get anywhere by selling cheap cigarettes. They soon develop 'entrepreneur skills' and raise several thousand pounds, which they pay as a deposit towards the caravan in Liam's mother's name.
Liam's efforts attract the attention of the local drug 'godfather', Tony Douglas. Liam, who only wanted a peaceful life with his mother, agrees to work with them after the local godfather tells him to 'stay away from our shops'. Pinball, meanwhile, is thrown into the health club showers due to his disrespectful manner towards the dealer, and vows revenge. Liam and Pinball carry on selling drugs to the local area, with the help of Liam's other friends who deliver pizzas. Liam and Pinball meet again with members of the drug godfather's gang, and Liam joins them in their car. Pinball is kicked out, angering him further; the gang members advise Liam to 'dump' Pinball for good. They take Liam to a Glasgow nightclub and instruct him that he has to kill someone to join the gang. Liam attempts to do so, but is stopped by the gang, who inform him it was a test (which he has passed).
Liam, Chantelle, Calum and Suzanne (Chantelle's friend) drive to the caravan to have a picnic, only to discover that it has been burned down. Liam believes it was Stan who did it, and throws a rock through his window. That evening, Pinball turns up in Douglas's (stolen) car, telling Liam that he wants revenge. He proceeds to crash the car into the health club. Liam speaks to the godfather in the morning and, to his chagrin, is ordered to "take care of" the Pinball problem (i.e. to kill his friend). The next morning, Pinball—aware of Liam's intentions—first tries to stab Liam, then proudly tells him that he's the one who burnt down the caravan, not Stan. He then cuts his own face in rage. Liam is seen reassuring his injured friend after phoning for an ambulance, but in the next scene he notifies the godfather that the deed has "been done", leaving a viewer to infer that he has indeed murdered his friend.[4][5]
Douglas promises to buy Liam an upscale apartment, and on the day before his birthday Liam's mother is released from the prison and taken to this new house on the coast of Gourock where she is welcomed with a party. She appears uneasy, and the next morning is found to have escaped to Stan's house. Liam blames this on Chantelle. Chantelle, now fully aware that Liam is dealing drugs, attempts to warn her little brother about their mother probably not being so thankful for Liam's efforts because she is too devoted to Stan, but this only provokes Liam even further. An enraged Liam goes to Stan's house, trying to convince his mother to go back to their new home, only to receive insults from Stan. In a struggle, Liam stabs Stan.
Liam is then seen walking alone on the stony beach. He is phoned by Chantelle, who reminds him that the day is his 16th birthday. She also tells him that the police have been looking for him, but that after everything that he has done, Chantelle still loves him. He walks towards the sea.
|
|
|
|
Post by teleadm on Jun 26, 2020 16:59:24 GMT
I bought a Ken Loach box once, then regreted it and let it lay around for awhile, then I watched them, and was glad I bought it. They are sometimes very tough to watch, but rewarding, and not without a bit of everyday humor. It was: Fatherland 1986 Riff-Raff 1991 Ladybird Ladybird 1994 Carla's Song 1996 Ladybird was the toughest, though heart-wrenching her continous "beep" words and swearing became a bit tiresome, but at the same time they don't ring false.   |
|
|
|
Post by kijii on Jun 26, 2020 18:06:17 GMT
Hi Tele--
Yes, many of them are so full of "beep" words and swearing became a bit tiresome.
Those set in poor neighborhoods in and around Northern England and Glasgow Scotland are particularly tiresome.
Sweet Sixteen is almost completely that way, then there is that accent too.
I, Daniel Blake (2016) has some, yet the story is totally interesting and rewarding..
Sorry We Missed You (2019) has some, but I fell in love with the family portrayed there.
Hidden Agenda (1990) is a political thriller with some great, well-known performers: Frances McDormand; Brian Cox Brad; Dourif. Little noticeable swearing.
The Wind that Shakes the Barley (2006) is plot-driven film about the Irish War for Independence with a minimal of swearing--as I remember it.
Kes (1969) is almost a classic which I plan to see again.
Another thing I notice about Ken Loch/ Paul Laverty films is that there is almost always a fist fight somewhere in the film, sometimes with knives (rarely with guns).
I always use the English closed captions whenever I watch a Loach/ Paul Laverty film.
Otherwise, I might not understand a word of the dialogue.
|
|
|
|
Post by kijii on Jun 28, 2020 4:14:57 GMT
Jimmy's Hall (2014) / Ken Loach James Gralton : We need to take control of our lives again. Work for need, not for greed. And not just to survive like a dog, but to live. And to celebrate. And to dance, to sing, as free human beings.
James Gralton : This is the greatest lie they try to stuff down our throats, that Ireland is one, that our nation is one, and that we are all one people, united in our beliefs with one common interest. But do you think the interests of a child in the slum are the same as the rack-renting landlord? Do you think the interests of a labourer are the same as the Earl's? The interests of a miner or a factory worker the same as the owner's, his bankers', his lawyers', his investors' and the prostitute journalists' hired to write their lies? Do you think they give a damn about our old, the sick, the unemployed, the hungry, the homeless, and those forced to leave our shores desperate for work?
|
|
