Video Americain

Review

Liam (Martin Compston) is about to turn sixteen, and all he wants for his birthday is for his mum to get out of jail and come live with him in a new trailer home. To achieve his goal, Liam steals his stepfather's heroin and resells it. Although he makes some money, and the local mobsters take a shine to him, it is only a matter of time before Liam's actions catch up with him. Loach, working with his longtime scenarist Paul Laverty, creates a truly moving portrait of wasted youth, and clearly shows why the troubled Liam must resort to such drastic actions.

Loach never judges his characters' morality, but he wisely contrasts Liam with his responsible sister Chantelle (Annmarie Fulton) and his feckless best friend Pinball (William Ruane). Compston, a non-professional actor, is incredibly charming, and he gives an astonishing performance. Viewers will want to see Liam succeed, even though the odds are clearly stacked against him. And even through the film is ultimately heartbreaking, Loach imbues Sweet Sixteen with a hopeful optimism, and a love for his working-class characters that has often defined this director's impressive body of work. (Film is subtitled due to heavy regional dialect.)

Gary Kramer