Looking for Eric

This is a wonderful film. You don't have to be a Ken Loach fan to enjoy it. Loach, who has made a long and varied cache of usually trenchant portraits of British working class life, with sidetrips to the Spanish Civil War, janitor organizing in America, and the pain of the Irish Rebellion circa WWI, departs here with a serio-comedic approach that should expose him to new fans. I watched with someone who never heard of him, and is usually drawn to more popular entertainments, and they loved it. Stick with it through the early slow going.

First off, this is not a film entirely about football, in case people think it is. Its very much a Ken Loach film - a piece of British social commentary, showing the life of a working class man, someone who sees themselves very much as a 'down and out' type. Its a sobering watch. Its classed as a comedy and I suppose there are some comedy type moments in it but suffice to say its not what I'd regard a very amusing film as such, for obvious reasons. The comedy is mainly present in the scenes showing Eric at ease, laidback with his mates at work and in his house, not with the adolescents he seemingly begrudgingly lives with. This is a quirky film - I liked the morals behind it and I thought the main character, Eric Bishop, was played well by Steve Evets. There's even some poignant moments present and it does feel quite realistic (from what little I know), so I'd recommend it on that basis, yes.