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12/30/06
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Sweet Sixteen (2003)
98
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Reviews Counted:82
Fresh:80
Rotten:2
Average Rating:7.9/10
Consensus: A bleak, but heartbreaking coming-of-age tale that resonates with truth.
Theatrical Release:May 16, 2003 Limited
Box Office: $201,010
Synopsis: In the depressed Scottish town of Greenock, 15-year-old Liam (Martin Compston) anxiously awaits the release of his mother, Jean (Michelle Coulter), from prison. Kicked out of school, with only... [More]
Starring: Martin Compston, Michelle Coulter, Annmarie Fulton, William Ruane
Director: Ken Loach
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Reviews for Sweet Sixteen
Compston, in his first role, is riveting because of the sense of authenticity and hopelessness he brings to the part.
05/16/03
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12/06/05
[A] working class tragedy of mythic proportions, bristling with the inchoate rage of an underclass that . . . wouldn't know how to look up even if it knew that it could
06/01/03
Mr. Loach once again reaffirms his honored position as one of the world's most passionate and compassionate filmmakers.
05/16/03
Top CriticUnder Loach's deft hand, it feels indisputably real ... An undeniable downer, but hellaciously well acted, brimming with compassion, and relevant in a way that doesn't chafe.
01/21/05
At once a well spun story, a poignant and moving character study, and an indictment of contemporary society's indifference to the plight of the underprivileged.
05/29/03
The mission they undertook long ago -- the director once said it is 'to clarify the lives of ordinary people' -- has never seemed clearer, and the unpleasant realities they uncover here strike us with blunt force.
06/13/03
Using mostly unknown and first-time actors, Loach spins a passable coming-of-age tale, which should please his fans and provides a diversion for the rest of us.
08/07/03
Top Critic...better than anything mainstream that I have seen all year.
05/22/03
Employing, as he's sometimes done in the past, a cast of mostly first-time film actors, Loach here whips up a sad but deeply engrossing tale of an adolescent Scottish lad's determination to salvage his unsavable family.
05/23/03
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06/13/03
Bursting with the kind of street energy that many films promise and few deliver.
04/26/03
From its gripping immediacy to its strong cast of unknowns, Sweet Sixteen feels almost like a documentary. Loach and screenwriter Paul Laverty keep an evenhanded focus on harsh truths, and avoid melodrama and grandstanding.
06/27/03
Top CriticTo use Liam's words, it's f-ing brilliant.
06/13/03
It may be Loach's saddest film.
06/20/03
Ideology is manifested as empathy, rather than polemic, and the result is a lean, powerful little film that's more about people than politics.
06/12/03
Top CriticAnother fine Loach film that refuses to sentimentalize the plight of the poor and disenfranchised. Compston is a real find.
01/30/04
Sweet Sixteen is a wonderfully bittersweet effort, and one of Loach’s best works.
10/08/03
Loach and frequent writing partner Paul Laverty are not greatly growing here, but once again their integrity is sterling.
06/06/03
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