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Riff Raff [1990]
![Riff Raff [1990]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41G9BY4AXAL._SL160_.jpg)
The story of building site workers in a time when...well, just listen to Ricky Tomlinson's monologues on the state of the country! The story of "boy meets girl, girl moves in with boy, boy and girl try to get along"...you'll never see Mr.Carlyle play a role which demands such tenderness and that dreaded "feminine side". Fantastically rythmic yet not overbearing score by Stewart (Police) Copeland, some great psuedo-realistic - and, probably knowing Ken Loach - REAL dialogue and a very solid cast of real "characters" make this a must-see early Ken Loach film.
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Our Price: £8.75 (subject to change)
Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review
Although not of a genre readily associated with Ken Loach, Riff Raff is basically a romantic comedy--albeit one set against the backdrop of political and social injustice. Robert Carlyle is young Glaswegian Stevie, newly relocated to London and sleeping rough. He finds a job on a building site and embarks on a relationship with Irish singer Susan (McCourt). The struggle that both the couple and their friends and workmates (the film is very much an ensemble piece) have to endure just to survive life on the margins of society paints a grim picture of early 1990s Britain, but also one that is shot through with resilient humour. Much of this comes from from Ricky Tomlinson's sublime performance, one that pre-dates his Royle Family role but bears all the hallmarks of his comic genius. Some of the political interjections are understandably a little dated and a touch heavy-handed, but Riff Raff is a film that successfully combines a sense of righteous indignation with a warm heart. --Phil Udell
Editorial
Special Features
4:3 Full Frame
DVD 5
English
Region 2
Mono English
Mono
Interactive Menus
Scene Index
English
Editorial
Synopsis
Director Ken Loach's concern for the plight of the working man takes a comic turn in this gritty film starring Robert Carlyle (TRAINSPOTTING) as Stevie, a young Scotsman who finds a construction job in the north of London turning an old hospital into luxury condos. Like most of the largely non-English crew, he's forced to live in a squat, an abandoned building whose doors can be opened only with a crowbar. Despite their differences, the laborers are bound by the difficulty of their work and their shared hatred of the bosses and contractors who constantly threaten to fire them and endanger their lives by cutting corners on safety. Loach's camera follows the workers unobtrusively as they relax in the squats and pubs, revealing, in their gallows humour, the fatalism of men who feel they've been forgotten by the society they inhabit. Stevie tries moving in for a time with Susan (Emer McCourt), a slightly dim, aspiring singer, but as is often the case for these men, things don't quite work out they way he hopes. Although Loach worked from a script, he used only actors who had construction experience and encouraged them to improvise their dialogue, making RIFF RAFF an utterly absorbing experience. The music for the film, like RAINING STONES, is scored by Stewart Copeland of the Police.
Scathing jokes and biting social comment
Review date: 2000-05-31 Rating: 6 out of 10
The story of people with hopes, dreams and principles they're willing to stand for.
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Product Details/Specifications
Actor(s):
Robert Carlyle
David Finch
Emer McCourt
Richard Belgrave
Jim R. Coleman
Creators:
Robert Carlyle (Primary Contributor)
Emer McCourt (Primary Contributor)
Director(s):
Recording label: Cinema Club
Manufacturer: Cinema Club
EAN: 5014138288464
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: Full Screen, PAL,
Release date: 2002-05-01
Number of discs: 1
Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
Audience rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 95 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1993-02-12
Language: English (Original Language)
Language: English (Subtitled)