(Dir. Ken Loach) Starring: Robert Carlyle, Ricky Tomlinson.
To appeal to the majority, you have to provide a situation in which the majority will at least empathise with. This is one of the main reasons why Ken Loach's films always are regarded with such high esteem, by fans and actors who see themselves fortunate enough to be involved in some of his projects.
Loach always appears to look at very working class situations; a Sunday league football team, a building site; most people who have endured an up-bringing similar to that of some of the characters in his films; find a kinship to their troubles, and become engrossed as they meander through their problems/afflictions, which prevent them from sitting up in expensive offices with the corporate bigwigs.
Riff-Raff is very much a socialist comedy; with very dry, dark humour from some of the older characters, who also prove cynicism is a characteristic which matures with age. The story revolves primarily around Robert Carlyle, who plays a Scot who's working as manual labour for a property site, whilst he dreams about owning his own shop selling boxer shorts.
Whilst in this environment, he finds a bag, which has been thrown out with other rubbish. Through investigation, he discovers the bag belongs to an Irish-wannabe singer-star, who is, in truth, terrible.
The two become entangled in romance, as Carlyle supports and embarrasses his girlfriend as she attempts to fulfil her dream to get one big break, whether it is a band or on stage. Underpinning this, is the poor conditions of work, which threaten the lives of the workers on site, and the highlights the lack of response given by management. Ricky Tomlinson plays the Obi Wan Kenobi of the building trade, who is the most outspoken worker on site, and provides humour varying from visual/circumstantial to very dry humour, whilst offering sage advice to his colleagues.
The key purpose of the film is to emphasise the naiveté of hoping for a utopia, where all your dreams come true, and life is paradise; and the stark realities which oppose it. Loach achieves this with humorous and in parts disturbing results.
Craig Aston
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