ДРУЖБА 2

Sweet Sixteen (2002)



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Cast overview, first billed only:
Martin Compston .... Liam
Annmarie Fulton .... Chantelle
William Ruane .... Pinball
Michelle Abercromby .... Suzanne
Michelle Coulter .... Jean
Gary McCormack .... Stan
Tommy McKee .... Rab
Calum McAlees .... Calum
Robert Rennie .... Scullion
Martin McCardie .... Tony
Robert Harrison .... Tony's gang
George McNeilage .... Tony's gang
Rikki Traynor .... Tony's gang
Jon Morrison .... Douglas
Junior Walker .... Night-time

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User Comments:

Now a much-lauded critical success that has made an overnight star of it's lead, Martin Compston, "Sweet Sixteen" is an enjoyable study of the human capacity for self-deception and self-destruction, set in an environment of poverty and drugs.

Compston plays Liam, a teenaged down-and-out living in Greenock, Scotland in the company of his sister Chantelle (Annmarie Fulton), a single mum, and her young son Calum (Calum Alees). His mother (Michelle Abercromby) is in prison, while he is forced into dealing drugs for her brutal boyfriend (Tommy McKee) and his grandfather Stan (Gary McCormack). Liam dreams of a better life for his family so together with Chantelle, and his best mate Pinball (William Ruane), he sets about trying to make things better. But times are desperate for Liam and his friends and betrayal and murder quickly ensue...

The film has a terrific storyline that never veers too far in either the direction of gritty realistic crime drama, or tearjerking soap opera. The plain reality of life for Liam and everyone in his world is presented in a balanced way, with both it's knockabout humour and painful limitations.

Director Ken Loach did not depend too much on a script for this production, rather letting the actors (all chosen from the local area) do alot of improvisation and it is in these instances that the film works better, as the dialogue feels more natural. The film could have done with a little more humour, as this could have livened things up a little bit more between crucial scenes. The use of pop music in some scenes also feels out-of-place. The film's natural style renders it's use unnecessary.

The acting is uniformly excellent, with not a single weak or mediocre performance. Compston fully engages the audience as Liam and communicates very well the sad irony of his character. Liam will do absolutely anything to improve things for his family, yet it is the pursuit of this goal which ultimately corrupts him and leads him to turn on the people who love him the most. Annmarie Fulton lends strong support as his loving sister, and William Ruane is on good form as loser Pinball. Soap fans will spot both Fulton and Ruane (along with bit-parter Stephen Purdon) as regulars in Scottish soap "River City".

No masterpiece, but very enjoyable, worth watching and fine of example of modern British cinema.