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9.2 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 17 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 17
  3. Negative: 0 out of 17

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  1. BlaineR.
    Apr 23, 2001
    8
    Excellent film depicting what happens when there can be no hope for a better life. Bring your patience, this film moves slowly but is worth it.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  2. RobinD.
    Dec 1, 2002
    10
    Loved this movie.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  3. JenniferB.
    Oct 2, 2003
    10
    Hard to watch, but a thought-provoking, intense film.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  4. Devyn
    Apr 8, 2001
    10
    Stark and beautiful for all it's misery and sadness. Lynne Ramsay paints a sad picture of the lives of the forgotten.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  5. Amerut
    Apr 19, 2002
    10
    Fantastic!!!!
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  6. ChristelledeC.
    Aug 11, 2003
    10
    This film was raw and honest. above that, the shots were absolutely beautiful.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  7. CalebP.
    Aug 31, 2003
    10
    If i were to make a film it would be this one. honest portrait of working class britain under Tory rule in the 1970's.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  8. IanW.
    Jun 15, 2004
    9
    Wonderful, understated debut. not to be missed.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  9. gailk
    Sep 11, 2009
    10
    This is an amazing debut art film about poverty and the beauty of the human spirit to find happiness in difficult places.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  10. LenoreS.
    Dec 26, 2002
    10
    Excellent! pace is slow and requires you to think but the lighting, characters, lines, etc. - very original filmmaking and beautiful style.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  11. Sindri
    Feb 20, 2011
    9
    Lyrical and envisaged soul-search - Lynne Ramsay's feature debut is quiet childhood tale with heavenly photography, moody music, authentic milieu depictions and magnetic direction. The year is 1973 and the working class is influenced by a garbage streak that over-floods the streets with trash, rats and misfortune. In a dirty neighborhood in Glasgow twelve year old James lives with his beer drinking father, housewife mother and two sisters. One day when he's out playing with his friend Ryan down by a lake, the playing gets out of hand and Ryan drowns. In a state of chock James vanishes from the scene of the crime and removes all suspicion away from himself. This tragic event causes James' parents great concern, and while James is at a loss as to whether he is going to tell what really happened, feelings of guilt begins to absorb him and gradually he slips into a lonely and introvert state that threatens to overshadow his perception of reality. This film which was given English subtitles in England due to the characters particular Scottish dialect is an unglamorous and realistic portrayal of the working class in Glasgow during the 1970s which on one side is an extensive allegory of a gritty society struck by inflation and on the other a shining fable about childhood dreams. With chronological narrative and credible storytelling Ramsay conceives a nostalgic mood that reminds us of the wholly days of childhood. Somewhere within all this sad melancholy that influences the characters, Ramsay is able to captivate lovely images of nature that creates efficient and natural contrasts. Ramsay's human insight an directorial talent comes to show when she takes us in to the core of a 12 year old boys mentality and exposes his soul with modest precision. The actors are convincing in their respective parts and William Eadie delivers an outstanding performance in the role of the seldom character James. Ramsay's distinct form of expression and personal style shows a confidence and an understanding for movie making that stands out. This is a lyrical and contemplating film about adjusting in a world that's easy to be deflected by, but impossible to write off.… Expand
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Critic Reviews

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Metascore
76 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 20 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 20
  3. Negative: 0 out of 20
  1. Time
    Reviewed by: Richard Corliss
    80
    Writer-director Ramsay neither sentimentalizes nor garishes up the lost children in this observant and poetic drama.
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  2. L.A. Weekly
    Reviewed by: John Patterson
    90
    Ramsay has made a movie in which a universe of hopelessness and decay is penetrated by shafts of light that remake these bleak surroundings in strange and beautiful ways.
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  3. Salon.com
    Reviewed by: Charles Taylor
    60
    A large part of the movie's problem is that both the characters and the actors who portray them serve as vehicles for Ramsay's stylistic flourishes.
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