ehorwatt

Contrary to some of the other user comments, which try to compare Ramsay to Loach, Tarkovsky, Bresson (though she cites these men as influences) I found Ratcatcher to stand on its own, and have a distinct style unto itself. The narrative seemlessly shifts from fantasy to reality, a characteristic of Ramsay's short films as well. To reduce Ramsay to a filmmaker only dealing with social realism misses the entire point of her film, which is to reconstruct a narrative as it would appear to a young boy plagued with guilt over his involvement with the death of a friend. Ratcatcher soars to levels of the fantastic world some remember from childhood (though not in a sentamental ridiculous way), transcending the stasis of her influences, who were concerned primarily with reality. Her films are not psycho-drama, they are composed in the "slice-of-life" style of some early new wave French Films, but that comparison is limited. If you liked Pixote, George Washington, 400 Blows, Los Olvidados, see their counterpart, it's that good. One of the best films about children you'll ever see.

This has been my favorite film for the past five years. It is the most unique Godard film, because it has a relatively consistent narrative, that follows a young Parisian couple who are on their way to kill their parents for money. Intense and thought provoking political questions are asked throughout this film, that emerge through its satirical portrayal of life in the city. Though this film is not for the squeamish, it is not exploitive at all. Watch for the 7 minute traffic jam, beautiful music by Antoine Duhamel, and use of primary colors (especially yellow and red). This film is not only prophetic, but seams to make insightful suggestions of how we live our lives now. A 10. One of the most unique films ever made ESH