Riff-Raff

Riff-Raff is a film that didn't particularly knock my socks off in any technical way, but still somehow achieved its own sort of excellence. It doesn't seem like your conventional movie, but rather, like a vignette of the life of its main characters. It feels more real than almost any other film I've seen, possibly a byproduct of its screenwriter being an actual construction worker. The film it pulls you in and makes the characters feel like old friends, without a particularly exciting or thrilling plot, in a way it's reminiscent of Chekhov. And though the characters have their ups and downs, the movie presents quite a few chuckles. A thoroughly intelligent and genuine film, brimming with social commentary without bashing you over the head with it.

Well what can I say? this film is appalling, the acting is putrid(particularly the Irish character who appears to forget her characters role mid way through the film) apart from Robert Carlyle as the Scottish character is quite good among other smaller big name roles who then made a name for themselves either prior or afterwards otherwise this movie is terrible with major plot-points not being revealed, unnecessary scenes, bad gags and bad script-writing as if they just improvised. Besides to that it was wrote in memory of some one if this was made in tribute of me, I must have really been hated or a terrible script- writer if this was the fruit of my labour! All in all I think my review is suitable for a film of this caliber Q.E.D

I first saw this film, drunk one Friday after a heavy nights drinking after work on a building site. I was then a bricklayer - a job I had done for over five years. Watching this film, it dawned on me that this was filmed in the part of London where i lived. I could truly relate to it and I would have sworn that the actors had themselves spent their lives working on sites it was so realistic. Go to any site and you will see at least one character who you could say directly related to a charater in this film. The safety aspect has been cleaned up a lot now but back then, sites were a dangerous place to work. Accidents were common and the end scenes were not in any way unrealistic.

The thing that did it for me was the portrayal of the working class of Britain. The sentiments were all there, the humour, the desparation, the sense of wanting to rise above the rest and the shattered dreams. They are all here. I would say that if anyone from abroad wanted to study the character of the British working class then they MUST see this film. It is tough, gritty and full of humour...a truly remarkable piece of film that is sadly neglected.

Buy it, Rent it, Steal it, Borrow it...whatever you do SEE IT!

This unpretentious British indie film is a rough diamond in the rough. It chronicles the lives of a handful of blue collar workers trying to survive in early 90's London. It's almost documentary in style and narrative, which lends a feeling of authenticity, which is helped also by fine performances all around. Shows the humor, frustration and dashed dreams in an unforgiving society, and it has heart. It is at times funny, heart wrenching, and touching. The accents are thick, so you may appreciate the subtitles that are on some versions. I found them distracting, so I put some tape over the bottom of the screen. I had to strain a few times to understand, but I don't think the subtitles were necessary. Well worth a watch.

Riff-Raff is so realistic in its depiction of British working class conditions in the building industry of the time. Hard working lads living hard lives making poor money and working for shifty cost cutting employers. More than that though, Loach has filled the story with believable characters and has them speaking realistically with real local accents and absolutely zero political correctness.

Hats off to whoever was in charge of the casting. Standout performances from Robert Carlyle and Ricky Tomlinson but to be fair the entire cast were believable in their roles. There's very authentic feel to the film, almost like watching a documentary instead. Criminally Underrated.