Overview
James Gillespie is 12 years old. The world he knew is changing. Haunted by a secret, he has become a stranger in his own family. He is drawn to the canal where he creates a world of his own. He finds an awkward tenderness with Margaret Anne, a vulnerable 14 year old expressing a need for love in all the wrong ways, and befriends Kenny, who possesses an unusual innocence in spite of the harsh surroundings.
I had only heard of this movie because Gary Oldman said that it was one of his favorite movies. What an experience! I can see how a movie like this influenced other filmmakers (Chloe Zaho’s The Rider immediately comes to mind). While there is a bit of a plot to the film the unique experience that the viewer gets is being immersed into the lives of the citizens of Glasgow during the early 1980s. That might not sound like much but I found the experience to be fascinating. Normally I hate movies where the viewer is a fly on the wall but in this film it really works. Also, the acting is extraordinary! I don’t know if “real” actors could have given us the depth that these non-actors were able to give us.
IHATEBadMovies.com reviews Ratcatcher
Movie title: Ratcatcher
Movie description: James Gillespie is 12 years old. The world he knew is changing. Haunted by a secret, he has become a stranger in his own family. He is drawn to the canal where he creates a world of his own. He finds an awkward tenderness with Margaret Anne, a vulnerable 14 year old expressing a need for love in all the wrong ways, and befriends Kenny, who possesses an unusual innocence in spite of the harsh surroundings.
Date published: 2023-01-27
Director(s): Lynne Ramsay
Actor(s): William Eadie, Tommy Flanagan, Mandy Matthews, Michelle Stewart, Lynne Ramsay Jr., Leanne Mullen, Jackie Quinn, James Ramsay, Anne McLean, Craig Bonar, Andrew McKenna, Mick Maharg, James Montgomery, Thomas McTaggart, Stuart Gordon, Stephen Sloan, Molly Innes, Stephen King, John Comerford, Ann Marie Lafferty, Bessie McDonald, Leanne Jenkins, Dougie Jones, Joe McCrone, James Watson, Stephen Purdon, Marion Connell, Robert Farrell, Donnie McMillan, Lisa Taylor, Rory McCann, Chris McElhill, John Miller
Genre: Drama
My Review
I had only heard of this movie because Gary Oldman said that it was one of his favorite movies. What an experience! I can see how a movie like this influenced other filmmakers (Chloe Zaho’s The Rider immediately comes to mind). While there is a bit of a plot to the film the unique experience that the viewer gets is being immersed into the lives of the citizens of Glasgow during the early 1980s. That might not sound like much but I found the experience to be fascinating. Normally I hate movies where the viewer is a fly on the wall but in this film it really works. Also, the acting is extraordinary! I don’t know if “real” actors could have given us the depth that these non-actors were able to give us.
-
My Review - 8.5/10
8.5/10