 "Where Unemployment Hurts the Most..." | 2009-08-22 |
| - Reviewed By good friend, damn fool from Wet, Wild, Wonderful Virginia |
"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 ***** |
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 "Glad to see this version with English subtitles...." | 2009-03-04 |
| - Reviewed By Larry from Brooklyn from Brooklyn |
This is a deeply passionate art film with the kind of political and social immediacy that makes it universal. It's a simple neo-realist situation, an unemployed father tries to get the money together for his daughter's communion dress and eventually is beholding to ruthless loansharks who threaten his family and his dignity as a person. The resulting emotional confrontation with the loanshark and and its denouement with a parish priest delivers the kind of emotional jolt and power that is rarely arrived at honestly in movies (think: Edge of the City or Ordet or Body and Soul or Beyond Rangoon). This is masterful filmmaking that enobles very humble people in domestic situations.
Loach is not for everyone, but with Mike Leigh, he is a genuine voice of blue-collar Britain. A note on the soundtrack: the Scottish accents and idiom are sometimes so thick, you may wish to play the English subtitles especially if you're watching with a bunch of friends. |
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| "More Reviews" | 2008-05-17 |
| - Reviewed By z_bookworm from Westchester County, NY |
| Amazon customers can get more reviews of this movie by pulling up the page of its earlier release in 2000. As for myself, this is one of my favorite movies, making me laugh, cry, and feel gratified that a story about us working folks is finally up there on the screen in a quality movie. It even makes me a bit uncomfortable--I find myself wanting to be a bit more politically informed and active. But mostly it does what a good movie should--entertain and move viewers. |
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| "WHO'S GOT AN UMBRELLA AROUND HERE ?" | 2007-06-10 |
| - Reviewed By wdanthemanw from Geneva, Switzerland |
Ken Loach's RAINING STONES won the Jury prize of the Cannes Film Festival in 1993. Like My Name Is Joe and Ladybird Ladybird, films Ken Loach directed at that time, RAINING STONES deals with one of Loach's favorite themes: the relation between poverty, ethics and social life in contemporary England. In this movie, Bob, unemployed and father of a seven years old girl, tries to earn 150£ to buy a new dress for his child's communion.
In opposition to the main characters of The Wind That Shakes the Barley or Land and Freedom DVD, two films by Ken Loach also, Tom is not a rebel, he's catholic, honest and proud. When he accidentally causes the death of the loan-shark who threatened his family, Tom goes straight to Father Barry to confess. The relatively happy ending of RAINING STONES is in contradiction with the pessimistic mood of the film and shouldn't live down the 80 first minutes which take an almost exhaustive inventory of the misfortunes an unemployed can suffer in England nowadays.
A DVD zone poor but proud. |
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| "Gripping and powerful..." | 2005-12-07 |
| - Reviewed By Larry from Brooklyn from Brooklyn |
This Ken Loach film leads to the kind of shattering emotional climax that fans of Rossellini will understand at once. Stay with this even if you are alienated by the setting and seeming desperation of the characters; unlike many of Loach's films, it does not end up leaving one with a sense of deep moral despair.
If you are new to Loach, think of using English subtitles - but at the risk of losing something at the powerful climax. This is my favorite of all his films; I consider him a world class talent. Only Mike Leigh of the current generation of British filmakers is in his league. |
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| "Hard edged and realistic" | 2000-02-16 |
| - Reviewed By D I Jones from Hyde, Cheshire, UK |
| I'm biased. Two of my friends are in this film (Patrick and Anthony Warde) and a couple of scenes were set in their club. That said, the film is realistic and set in real locations. Loach didn't have to build sets or work hard to convey the hopelessness of unemployment in a Northern town, the people and places did that for him. His talent is in bringing this to the screen and still giving the people the dignity they deserve as they struggle to make some kind of life in a post-industrial wasteland. |
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