Sweet Sixteen

A typically excellent Ken Loach dramatic testament to the plight of the common man, "Sweet Sixteen" brings the forces of adversity and the futility of naive courage into bold relief with this hopeful examination of one boy's struggle to make a better life for himself and his loser mother. Don't look for a happy ending to this dreary, drab but compelling drama which could easily be labeled a "downer". Recommended only for realists into foreign films. (B+)

Note - This film does have English subtitles making it more user friendly for those who find the thick Scot dialect difficult to understand.

Ken Loach makes films of political power and emotional intensity. If he has a flaw as a film-maker, it is that the overall body of his work is insufficiently varied, and that the same basic narrative (of essentially decent people fighting and ultimately failing to overcome their disadvantages) re-appears in a different setting in each successive film. 'Sweet Sixteen' is, however, one of his better works, in part because he resists the temptation (as sometimes he does not) to place a hero with a heart of gold at it's centre. What we have instead is a horrifyingly believable story of an ordinary kid getting into bigger and bigger trouble. Every detail convinces, and the quality of performances Loach entices from his inexperienced cast is of the highest order: the film is also a sobering reminder of the underside of life in Blair's Britain. Loach has a rare talent: it's on display here, but don't expect any surprises.

The kind of film I usually intend to see but don't end up seeing. In this case I did see it and was handsomely rewarded. I expected it to be a little on the depressing side but found it strangely uplifting. Perhaps because you realise that you don't have it so bad after all. Perhaps because it was extremely tight - with no needless scenes. I half expected the protag's relationship with the girl to result in a teenage sex scene. But it didn't and there's no way it would have fitted in with the film's race towards it's inevitable conclusion. Inevitable but not exactly predictable either. Stunning.

I felt like I had been punched after I watched this film - it is one of the most powerful movies I have seen in a long time.

This is Ken Loach at his very best, with a wonderful script from Paul Laverty. A tragic, bittersweet tale of a young boys hope and optimism crushed by his uncaring family and the harsh world in which he lives. Despite the fact that this film is a tragedy, it is also very sweet, with some touching moments and a great deal of humour. There is also hope of a sort - the central character Liam has an older sister who cares about him deeply and is always there for him.

The acting is stellar, it is shot with finesse and all in all is a masterful piece of film making. See this.

I saw this film at the 2002 Toronto International Film Festival. A completely charming mix of hope and despair set in Greenock, a troubled suburb of Glasgow. Fifteen-year old Liam spends his time trying to scrounge enough money to buy a caravan (trailer) for his mom and him to live in when she's released from prison. He needs money fast, and decides to cut in on his mom's boyfriend's heroin trade. Of course, he's soon in way over his head. Among the rest of the non-professional cast, Martin Compston's performance floored me. He captures that period between childhood and adulthood with just the right mix of emotions. He was sitting in the seat right behind me and when the film was over, I turned to him, speechless, and just shook his hand.