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Review: My Name Is Joe (1999)
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Greg King
Aug 16, 1999, 3:00:00 AM8/16/99
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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.
(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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