Raining Stones

Bob (Bruce Jones) is on the dole. With barely enough money to pay his rent, he is still determined to buy his daughter Coleen (Gemma Phoenix) a new dress for Communion, an investment of a few hundred pounds. The truth of the characters and an authentic script by Jim Allen lifts Ken Loach's 1993 drama Raining Stones out of the ordinary and makes it a human document of considerable strength. Bob's spirit propels the story and allows us to root for him as he tries to overcome his failure to find the means to fulfill his wishes for his daughter.

As the film opens, Bob and his friend Tommy (Tomlinson) steal a sheep from the countryside but cannot bring themselves to kill it. Instead they bring it to the butcher who tells them that it is mutton, not lamb and it is worthless to him. When they attempt to sell it piece-by-piece at the local tavern, they leave the keys in the ignition and Bob's van is stolen. Bob goes from one misadventure to another, from stealing sod from a golf course for a landscape gardener to a one-night stand as a bouncer at a local pub that ends up with him getting beaten and losing his job in the process. One of the funniest scenes takes place at the local church where Bob is forced into donating his services to clean their drains and ends up only with thanks from the pastor and a bucket full of dirt on his clothes. Supporting Bob is a supportive pastor (Tom Hickey), who urges him to rent a dress at a reduced cost, and his wife Anne (Julie Brown) who stands with him in periods of distress.

The second part of the film centers around Bob's efforts to raise the necessary cash to buy the dress and his unfortunate choice of borrowing the money and having to deal with a loan shark that gets him and his family into serious trouble. The script by Jim Allen rings true although, without subtitles, much of the dialogue is drowned in regional accents. Raining Stones builds to a powerful ending with an unforced naturalism that makes us feel for the characters as human beings, not as symbols of a society that has turned its back on its poorest members.

Like many, I often found the accents hard to decipher. But I think it speaks to Loach's formidable talent that it's never really in question as to what's happening: we get the story in visible strokes, and we get the emotional feeling in the most minute, detailed way possible. To use a clichéd phrase, it has the drama of life, and Loach has a loving touch, even though the outer view of his work is rough and hard: he doesn't separate the funny bits from the painful bits, he lets it all run together. And despite the fact that some find him an "uncinematic" director, I think that's mostly baloney. No, he doesn't impress with his visuals, but that doesn't mean that they're uncinematic; he's working in a way that's more interested in recording emotions (and he still tells a story) and that is cinematic.

The film espouses a wonderful philosophy -- love and prayer is enough. Yet while the film is sympathetic to the emphasis the family places on communion (getting into Heaven), at times it feels like a condemnation of Catholic greed and pie-in-the-sky fantasies of those relying on God to solve their earthly troubles -- after all, He doesn't buy communion dresses. I think that's why the film works so well. It never spells out how intelligent it is, because that's not Loach's intention. Yet what he does is incredibly smart. (Likewise, you can see the politics behind the film, and that's why they work, too: they're behind it, not in your face.) The ending might seem a little too cheery (though cheery is perhaps the wrong word), but I think it works in the tradition of great humanism: things WILL be alright in the end, if you just believe. And because it's humanism, it's true: everything else might be awful, but you're alive, you have a family, you're fighting to go on: that's wonderful.

Loach makes a brilliant choice with the car crash, because it solves something and yet it makes the moral universe of the film more complex: Is he scott free now? Who is the bad guy here? And Loach of course includes the most pragmatic priest in the movies -- pray for the worthless soul as any good Christian would, but realize that he who causes fear in the hearts of good people is not a life worth wrecking yours over. Consider the car crash an act of God (which indirectly benefits God, by supporting a family of followers), rewarding he who believes yet still exists in the practical world trying to make things work (he who doesn't just lay around waiting for God to save him). THIS is Catholic cinema. I'm agnostic, and this touched my soul. It gets at the roots of what real religion does, or is supposed to do: heal, protect, love -- not preach, frighten, or intimidate. So I think even though he opts for a "faith" film (that is, he does not offer a text book on how to solve your problems), Loach's "realism" and pragmatic philosophy still suggests that the everyday is important -- keep at it. It's what leads to the faith, it's what's needed for the faith to work. 9/10

"Raining Stones" is one of those films that initially looks like it is going to be painful to watch. The despair of the blue-collar English, working hard to make ends meet, the idea that religion is a part of the family, and a proud father willing to do anything for his daughter feels more like a Mike Leigh film than a Loach drama, but Loach stands up and demonstrates his ability to produce amazing cinema. It is a scene we have seen many times before, a father down on his luck with his family and life does anything (sewage, bounce, and sheep stealing) to provide a brand new dress for his daughter's first Communion. He is determined to give his daughter a memory she will always cherish, but he is also determined to prove his worth to his entire family. This is where the drama and real humanity of all Loach's characters begin to shine.

This didn't initially seem like a film worth watching, hesitantly I worried this would be one of those over dramatic family dramas that pulled everything out of you only to leave you bored, desensitized, and counting the final minutes - within the first ten minutes of Loach's film, I knew that I was wrong. To begin, our main protagonist, completely full of flaws, but boiling over with pride, captures your attention. Our patriarch, Bob (played delicately by Bruce Jones), is immediately recognizable and relatable. Loach gives him that blue- collar, everyman appeal that isn't sugar-coated or fabricated. The instances may seem episodic at times, but what happens to Bob is real. Add to this mix his devotion to the Catholic faith, and we have a powerfully well-rounded character that leads us in and out of difficult times. With Bob is his conscious, or voice of future, the unemployed Tommy creates this very sad world, but it isn't bleak. Jobs are found, dresses are ordered, and money is used - it is the destination with this film, not the journey. Bruce Jones' ability to control each scene, whether it is getting a bitter or going door to door searching for work, he is someone that we stand proudly next to. Loach has crafted a man that screams sympathy. During every moment of this film, we root for Bob, we cheer when he finds work, and each downfall we feel as well. That is a great accomplishment as both a director and an actor if each scene can bring out such emotion.

Not only is the acting Oscar worthy, but Loach's (with Jim Allen) story is outstanding. From that opening scene, he pulls you into this world that feels real, that seems plausible, that demonstrates the struggle without being vulgar or gross. It is a normal town, these are trying times, Bob wants to provide for his family, and what he goes through to accomplish this is breathtaking. As Loach introduces religion into this story, a very vital element to this film, it seems only natural that when in trouble, when you feel like you can turn to nobody, the Church is there, God is there, your local priest is there to talk you through the trouble. It isn't overbearing, it isn't preachy, it is a way of life for these characters and Loach doesn't force this down our throats. It is again, this feeling of realism that makes "Raining Stones" stand above other films of this nature. If there were a complaint about this film, it would be the sense of timing with Bob. In one moment he has no money, in another he is suddenly debt ridden. It happens rather quickly in a 90-minute film. Also, would a man with no money to his name really spend that much on beer during the week - wouldn't he save it? Or was this Loach's commentary on the blue-collar worker? Never enough money for things that count, but plenty of time for beer and religion. An odd twist...

Overall, this was an impressive film from the beginning all the way to the final moment that put this smile on your face. It was dramatic, it was grounded, and it was passionate for all the right reasons. Loach has proved himself as a director with "Raining Stones", and this is a perfect example of a "don't judge" cover. Again, this wouldn't have been a typical film for me, but what came out of the DVD player was a cinematic dinner. Everything was in place, and you were satisfied by the end. I can only recommend this film to everyone excited about a low- budget, no CGI, drama that shows humanity at its best and worst. It will make you think, make you smile, and make you understand the struggles of life.

Watch this film!

Grade: **** 1/2 out of *****

Raining Stones is directed by Ken Loach and written by Jim Allen. It stars Bruce Jones, Julie Brown, Ricky Tomlinson, Tom Hickey, Mike Fallon and Jonathan James. Music is by Stewart Copeland and cinematography by Barry Ackroyd.

Northern England and as unemployment bites hard, Bob (Jones) frets about finding the money for his daughter's communion dress...

It's classical Loach, an awareness of the lower to working class lifestyle during a politically turbulent time. As is the great director's want, realism leaps out from every frame, earthy humour is evident and Loach draws you into his kitchen sink world with ease. Raining Stones has no political agenda as such, it's primary focus is the people, specifically examining how a basically honest hard working man has pride in abundance but little brains in accompaniment. And we all know what pride comes before...

The structure is simple, an hour of film lets us know the principal players, their surroundings and their beliefs. Humour dominates the narrative at this point, be it nutty ideas like stealing a sheep off of the Moors to sell to the butcher - Bob's date with a sewer drain - and Tommy (Tomlinson) showing his ass and genitals to an overhead police helicopter! There are scenes and snatches of dialogue that genuinely bring the laughs. Yet lurking in the background is the palpable sense of things about to turn bad, which is the case of course, and the film shifts for its last third into dramatic thriller mode.

Religion is a feature, but again it's not something that Loach wants to use as a tool for head beating. In fact it's refreshing that the portrayal of Father Barry (Hickey excellent), who is the glue that binds his unemployed flock together, is not about pious pontificating, he's very aware of the times and happy to share a glass of whiskey with Bob and offer up some surprising advice. Cast performances are across the board great, something which is another trait of Loach's direction, while Ackroyd's photography around the Middleton, Rochdale locale is suitable stripped back to reveal a climate of struggle.

A must for anyone with a kink for Loach's type of story telling, Raining Stones is another fine entry on his considerable CV. 8/10

This film I saw when it first came out in 1993. It made such an impression that I can still recall many scenes and the whole story. Ken Loach creates really believable characters who might live next door. He builds and presents the story so the viewer really becomes involved in the cast's problems. It remains my favourite Ken Loach film. An excellent film in its category.