Sorry We Missed You

Another critical analysis of life in England in 2019. Has English society changed at all since Ken Loach' first films in the 60s? It seems not. Heartbreaking, shameful, relatable and tragically so true. We can all relate to the characters,they are our friends and neighbours and think, there but for the grace of god...... The film reminded me of On the Waterfront, with the corrupt 1950s dockside gang masters. How can these working practices have been allowed in England, in the C21st? A decade of capitalist government lade bare, just as the UK decides it's future yet again. Other "reviews" suggest the acting is suspect in places, but I feel this is the film's and LoachKs skill in making the film appear to be so real , so natural, so tragically real. Every scene and every prop had meaning, from the dreadful state of the rented house - why aren't landlords forced to maintain a decent level of decoration and repair. To the fast food of the van dash board- so what is the social and health cost of forcing drivers to work long hours, with no breaks eating sugar filled snacks. To the school who excluded a young man for 2 weeks with no support or, understanding of the causes or support needed. A true essay of English life in 2019. Tragic.

Documentary drama from Ken Loach.

The real life struggles of real people struggling to make ends meet after the financial crash. This is about a family in desperate situations, who are financially and time poor. He's a hardworking self-employed delivery driver, she's an overstretched care worker. Both very demanding jobs, their lives are hard, and their kids are neglected. A serious story for current times, though there are no references to Brexit or politics generally.

If you've seen 'I, Daniel Blake' then you'll have a good idea what to expect, though this isn't about benefits. This is more about what happens when there are no workers' rights. Recommended.

"Sorry We Missed You" is an exceptional film from British director Ken Loach that I recently saw at the Philadelphia Film Festival. It's amazingly realistic and powerful....as well as incredibly sad and depressing. This is NOT a criticism...more just to let you know that it's anything but a 'feel good' sort of movie.

The story is about a working class family in crisis. The father worked 90 hour weeks as a delivery man. His boss is completely unsympathetic and hard...like a rock. The wife is also working 12-14 hour days and together they barely get by. But, because they are barely home, it's taking a huge emotional and physical toll on them as well as the family. Through the course of the film, you see these decent people fall apart....and there doesn't seem to be any answer for their predicament.

This movie was brilliant in that the actors seemed nothing like conventional actors....they were REAL. But, unlike non-professional actors, they were convincing and extremely effective. I applaud them and Loach for delivering a film that makes you think and feel....and challenges your preconceptions about the fairness and decency in the modern economy. A film not to be missed...unless you are depressed. If you do suffer from clinical depression or your life has been hard lately....maybe you might want to skip this one.

This one really resonated with me. Sorry We Missed You highlights the struggles that normal everyday people experience day to day while trying to balance work and family life and the rate of exploitation in the job market. It's hard hitting, urgent, heartbreaking and most importantly REAL. The fact that Loach is still motivated and inspired and making great films so late in his career is wonderful.

We are shown a glimpse of daily life of the Turners. A low income family with limited options and imperfect decisions. Much like the real ordinary men and women out there every day doing what ever job they can to make ends meet whether it's zero hour contracts, sub-contracts, agency work, sole trading or just a crap job you can almost guarantee they've experienced unscrupulous management, no health and safety, no sick pay, no paid holidays, no travel expenses, dodgy cheques, penalties and sanctions.. I know I have. It's a jungle out there and the grim reality is the world is full of people and businesses willing to take advantage of you at every turn and this film tries to capture just that.

I know Loach often uses unknown or first time actors in his films, but he has a way of bringing out really good performances from them. In Sorry We Missed You it's no different. The characters are really believable in their roles. Kris Hitchen's performance is outstanding in this film. He completely owns the role of Ricky. A solid actor, i'll be checking out his other work from now on. Debbie Honeywood does a great job as Abbie, however not not every line of dialogue hits the mark. Her description of her recurring dream and a few other scenes felt more like a run-through of her lines. Though not overly distracting and she more than makes up for it with her kind hearted compassionate performance. Ross Brewster played the part of the depot manager we love to hate so well. Numbers and figures man, not a care in the world for the workers. Prize pick, basically. The type of character I think we've all come across at some point.

I found this so relatable, after all that's the point isn't it. The hard grafting father working his arse off but never seems to be able to get ahead, the loving mother doing everything she can to hold it all together as she watches her family fragment, the self destructive teenage son at that "stupid age" angry, selfish and misunderstood. It made me laugh, it made me sad, it made me angry, infuriated even, and it got me thinking. What more could you want in a film. Fantastic.

Ken Loach films are always on point, no matter the issues and societal ills being explored. Sorry We Missed You takes its audience into the life of a family whose circumstances result in both parents being at the mercy of zero hours contracts and corporate misuse of self employment to exploit their workforce for bigger profits. Its a sad indictment of our society and the gig economy which journeys more and more towards placing higher value on the pursuit of profit over the lives and well being of ordinary working class people. Anyone who buys on line and has your parcel delivered to your door or has relatives who rely on paid carers should watch this film to fully appreciate what they do for us and the sacrifices and hardships they may be facing.