Sweet Sixteen

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.

From the opening scenes to the closing credits it was wonderful the acting the storyline the direction were wonderful, if this dosent move you nothing will, young Liam and Chantelles scene in the flat was so powerfull,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,a fantastic must see film

Greenock is just down the road from where I live, in fact there's rivalry bordering on enmity between the town where I work, Paisley and Greenock, where this super-realistic Ken Loach film was made. I can therefore completely identify from first-hand observation, although rarely, thankfully from experience, the young, foul mouthed, ill-mannered, drug-dependant, "neds" (non-educated delinquents), who largely populate the film. In fact, in their tracksuit and trainers garb, they still roam the streets today, usually in a zombie-like, drug-hazed trance.

The central character of the film, young Liam and his best-mate Pinball obviously don't go to school and out on the streets, work the margins, both small-time partners, roaming the local pubs selling cigarettes on the fly. Liam's mum is in prison, presumably on drugs-related charges and is due for release soon, but she's in tow with a hardened, petty criminal boy-friend who Liam hates, while also in the family mix is Liam's older sister, a single parent with a young child, who doesn't get on with their mum and bizarrely, a grandfather who's into the same petty crime as the mother's boyfriend. A chance discovery of the boyfriend's drug-stash gives the soon-to-be-sixteen year-old a golden chance to make big money quickly and buy a dream caravan for the family to make a literally clean start but instead leads him into a shady underworld of crime and violence.

Everyone lets Liam down in the film, eventually himself too and at the end, we see him in the time-honoured teenage mixed-up confusion traceable all the way back to Mod Jimmy in "Quadrophenia" and of course the original cause-less rebel of James Dean. The language and violence in the film are extreme but trust me, true to life and the little snippets of humour get steadily darker as the film progresses. Liam's progress from early-on comically getting a reversing truck to run over a policeman's motorbike in a gag used before by Woody Allen to the "sting" he falls victim to when required to stab a man to death in an underworld initiation test shows how far he comes / falls in his journey into darkness.

Filmed in real locations certainly familiar to me and without his sometime trait of attendant sentimentality, I think this is one of the best Ken Loach films I've seen. The acting by the exclusively Scottish and often first-time actors is mostly convincing, with Compston in particular showing the talent that has deservedly kept him in work ever since, although usually in rather typecast strong, silent parts in movies and on TV.

This was a believable, gritty warts-and-all slice of life of a random teenager's nowhere existence in the grey, economic wasteland of latter day West of Scotland. It's grim up north, believe me.

As someone who comes from Greenock originally, my first draw to this movie was curiosity. Having said that, I fell completely for the story of Liam. His character, played by Martin Compston, could be one of many lads that I grew up with. The need to be 'one of the big boys' an all prevalent force in this deprived, former shipbuilding town; even if that need is self destructive. The performances are stellar throughout, only the mother's character is weak. I am unsure if this is deliberate, or bad acting. Perhaps the film could have explored the lack of employment and the sectarian divide more, however it does tackle the drugs issue very well indeed. The other thing that may put people off is the language. There is nothing unusual about the frequency or the strength of it for Grenockians. But it is more usual for a filmmaker to give an essence rather than soak the audience in every single word.

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.