Ken Loach’s latest film is currently available in Colombian cinemas.
The new film by acclaimed director Ken Loach Sorry We Missed You has just hit national theatres. It serves as a companion piece to his previous films I, Daniel Blake. Both movies deal with the problems and struggles working class people in the UK have to endure in this modern society. The realistic approach boosts the story above the average social drama you can find in similar movies.
The film cast consists of non-actors or lesser-known actors, led by an amazing performance from Kirs Hitchen. Hitchen portrays a father who not only has to manage to provide for his family but must also deal with his rebel young son and the financial problems surrounding his household.
Ken Loach is known for his naturalistic approach to filmmaking, using as little film equipment as possible, and placing real people in front of the camera. This approach (quite common in the Colombian filmmaking landscape) allows the film to detach itself from artificiality. It makes everything more believable, more grounded. As a result, the film can be gut-wrenching at points — the struggles this family goes through can hit too close to home.
Colombian cinema: Read all our reviews.
In Sorry We Missed You, we find the usual problems and dilemmas faced by working-class, low-income families. And, in this case, the decisions and the pressures they have to endure while dealing with marital problems.
The director masterfully manages to make us empathise with our main protagonist. We just want him to get a break from all the bad things that happen throughout the film, to overcome the incessant obstacles that life throws at him. We are able to understand where he’s coming from and what’s keeping him away from obtaining what he desires.
There are a couple of moments in the film that can leave the viewer exhausted, desolated, speechless. These are moments where we can see the true self of our characters, where they speak up their mind and we are confronted with the harsh reality the film wants us to be aware of. The film’s sincerity and brutality towards its subjects leave us feeling helpless. But that is also the point of it all, the main goal of Ken Loach’s filmography as well.
The movie is quite simple, but in its simplicity the film excels. The approach that Loach used to film this story not only can be called natural but also minimalistic. And that’s the secret to the film’s success, that’s why it is worth it. It does more with less and says a lot with a few details. This movie departs from narrative conventions: Here we do not have heroes or happy endings, only real life.
Rate: 3.5/5
