My Name Is Joe (1998)

In Glasgow, Joe Kavanagh (Peter Mullan, in a superb performance) is an ex-alcoholic and unemployed simple, but good man. He is the couch of a soccer team, formed by poor players. Joe meets Sarah Downie (Louise Goodall), a community health worker and they start a romance. Liam (David McKay) is a player in Joe's team and ex-addicted in drugs. He has a beautiful son, but his wife Sabine (Anne-Marie Kennedy) is still using drugs and raises a huge debt together with the local drug dealer McGowan (David Hayman). Joe becomes aware of the problem and McGowan offers four options: the debt of 2.000 pounds be paid, Sabine becomes a prostitute, Liam becomes a drug dealer or Joe makes two delivers of drugs for him. Joe accepts the last option, jeopardizing the love of Sarah for him. This very touching low budget movie is an authentic lesson to Hollywood personnel of `How to make an excellent movie having an outstanding director, a wonderful screenplay and marvelous cast'. The story is simple, very credible and with no concessions. The focus is part of the Scottish population that lives in poverty conditions and without many options in life, and it is painful. The end of the story will break the heart of the viewer: it is impossible not to be with wet eyes. The soundtrack suits perfectly to this film. My vote is nine.

Believe me as soon this movie has ended it will be damned difficult not to reach for your handkerchief and not to dry your eyes as this movie really touches you, and director Ken Loach doesn't even need no Titanic-script as according to his style he just picks out some stories of life. We are in Glasgow, Scotland at where we meet Joe (Peter Mullan), an ex-alcoholic who is on the dole and whose sole surviving point is the footballteam (that always loose) he manages. It's more friendship then football but out of a sudden he meets a nurse Sarah (Louise Goodall) and he falls in love. For Sarah it is quite difficult, she loves him but she can't get used to the world Joe lives in, a world that is dominated by poverty. Everything goes badly wrong when Joe decides to help one of his footballplayers Liam (David McKay) who is a junk and who is in the hands of the mob that are awaiting 2000 pounds from him. Little by little Joe is witnessing that he looses everything that he build up the day he said the bottle farewell. This is not Loach's most known film (I guess that is Raining Stones) but this movie really had its impact on the festival of Cannes and it made a sort of indiestar from actor Peter Mullan who recently made his debut as director making "The Magdalene Sisters". Along with Mike Leigh is Loach one of the best British directors ever, a film you absolutely must see!!!!

The awesome realism of "Once Were Warriors" (New Zealand, 1994), successfully transposed to Glasgow, Scotland.Solid, decent human beings use alcohol and drugs to "cope" with life. But, life only gets worse, loyalties are brutally tested, and one poor unfortunate will not survive. But, don't think this to be another flaccid piece of cliched, anti-drug drivel. No, this film speaks powerfully to the perverse, and often vicious, arbitrariness of life. Darwinians, of course, will be unmoved. The rest of us, however, will be chilled by the scale of our impotence in making this world a better place. Prepare yourself to feel humbled.

I watched this film a couple months ago and i was utterly surprised. Peter Mullan and David McKay do an excellent job. I am sick and tired of watching the same dull plot over and over again. Ken Loach does an excellent job at taking a look at the darker side of life, the part we call "Reality". I highly recommend this movie for anyone that enjoys watching gripping social dramas.