Acclaimed filmmaker Ken Loach follows up on his 2000 opus Bread and Roses about a Los Angeles janitors' strike with this drama about the privatization of British Rail. Set in South Yorkshire, the film opens with familiar British Rail sign being replaced with a shiny new one reading "East Midland Infrastructure." For a group of men working at a local train station, this subtle change ends up meaning that their lives have irrevocably changed. When they learn the grim details of this privatization,
their chummy sense of community begins to splinter and fall apart. Under the new regime, the customer comes first. While on paper this sounds great, in reality this new arrangement is implemented haphazardly, resulting in bitter fighting and political backstabbing. Some from the old group take the company's severance package while others soldier on. This film was screened in the 2001 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi
Though not one of Loach's strongest films, his heart is in the rightplace, and his foray into the privatization of the British Railway System and its devstating effects on its workers is still a worthy cause to champion and a worthy film to see.
"The Navigators" takes place in 1995 when British Rail is bring privatized, the effects of which are being felt at all levels. Workers for the renamed East Midlands Infrastructure(later renamed Gilchrist Engineering) no longer have the lifetime job security and benefits they once had, and a good number are taking the
redundancy offer while the going is good. Meanwhile, for the ones who are staying, there is barely enough work to go around. Directed by Ken Loach, "The Navigators" provides an excellent case study as to why certain government operations should never be privatized and run for a profit.(Do not even think of doing this with Amtrak.) Overall, it is a disaster for everybody all around. The movie is political without being shrill. It captures the feeling of being underemployed perfectly. The film ends strongly enough to have an impact but we never get to know any of the characters well.
May 5, 2006
Walter M.
Super Reviewer
Appropiate portrayal of a british railworker's teams downfall which ultimately alienates their morals as well. A grim and very realistic view on contemporary British working class. Only watch this, if you are interested in sociological topics.
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