MY NAME IS JOE (M). (Dendy Films) Director: Ken Loach Stars: Peter Mullan, Louise Goodall, David McKay, Annemarie Kennedy, Gary Lewis, David Hayman, Lorraine McIntosh Running time: 101 minutes.
For over two decades Ken Loach has explored Britain's working class with a brutal honesty, gritty realism, earthy humour and sense of compassion that most other directors can only aspire to. After tackling more international concerns with his previous films (Land And Freedom was set during the Spanish Civil War and Carla's Song was set against the background of war torn Central America), Loach returns to familiar territory with his brilliant new film.
Written by regular collaborator Paul Laverty, My Name Is Joe is a touchingly honest portrait of life in the residential tenements of Glascow's depressed industrial suburbs. At its heart, My Name Is Joe is an aching and touching love story, and this seems to temporarily temper Loach's usually bleak and pessimistic outlook. The lighter, romantic touches and winning humour make this a far less depressing effort than earlier Loach films, and it initially seems to have more in common with Riff Raff than Ladybird, Ladybird.
In the role that won his a Best Actor Award at Cannes last year, Peter Mullan gives a blistering but naturalistic performance in the central role of Joe, a former alcoholic struggling to get his life under control. Rehabilitated through sessions at AA, Joe has been sober for ten months. He also supplements his regular dole payments through odd jobs around the neighbourhood and by helping out the local youth soccer club. It is through his involvement with the soccer club that he meets Liam (David McKay), a former drug addict with a young family. Joe inspires Liam to stay on the straight and narrow, although it is sometimes a hard task.
Through Liam and his partner Sabine (Annemarie Kennedy), Joe also meets Sarah (Louise Goodall), a social worker who is also trying to help the pair. Romance slowly blossoms between the two, despite the baggage that Joe brings to the relationship. But when Liam falls back into his old habits, Joe becomes involved with the gangs that rule the Glascow streets, with tragic consequences. The latter part of the film is slightly melodramatic in nature, but it also makes for some powerful drama. The climax is painfully brutal and harrowing. Although set against a depressing background of poverty and despair, My Name Is Joe also resonates with an inspiring sense of humanity and compassion. The Glaswegian accents are so thick that My Name Is Joe carries subtitles, enabling audiences to easily get into the rhythm and flow of the film.
My Name Is Joe is a powerful and memorable return to form for Loach, and one of the year's most satisfying and unforgettable films.
****1/2 greg king http://www.netau.com.au/gregking
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