Lazos De Familia

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.

For Loach, who is peaking yet again at this point in his career, this is another song about those unspoken for. This time it's delivery drivers. Be it an Amazon or a food delivery service. The most beautiful parts however are the the filmmaker also does say along with depicting the toughness of their lives, that the only way to breathe normally amidst this is to stick together as family.

His film hits home in every possible way. Such a simple story and yet to relatable because the struggles are so universal. Absolutely beautiful. After I, Daniel Blake, this is another one that made me cry my heart out, quite literally.

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.

"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.