Review of Looking for Eric (2009) by Philomène R — 04 Jun 2009

As far as I could tell from the Q&A which followed the screening (more on that later), this film came about when Eric Cantona effectively phoned up Ken Loach and asked â??Could you make a movie about how awesome I am?â?? The result is Looking for Eric, a charming, feelgood film, that while still sitting in the gritty Loach tradition, has a light, magical touch, reminiscent (inevitably) of Play it Again, Sam; and although it is not exactly a comedy, it is frequently very funny. I doubt I agree with much of Loachâ??s politics, but he is a great enough artist to not let his ideological beliefs interfere too much with his storytelling. Most of the laughs come from the interplay between Cantona (gamely sending up his football philosopher persona) and the excellent Steve Evets, though there is also a fantastic supporting cast, with John Henshaw nearly stealing every scene heâ??s in. Itâ??s not flawless, and I wonder if the picture will outlive our memories of the genius in the upturned collar, but now is not a time for nit picking â?? now is a time to go and see this joyous little film.

And finally, a quick word on that Q&A â?? the screening I attended was at the Stratford Picturehouse and was followed by a satellite link up to the live Q&A at the Brixton Ritzy, with Loach, Cantona, Evets and writer, Paul Laverty (who grimaced slightly whenever the others started on about all the great lines that were ad libbed). It worked really well and a number of independent cinemas (such as the Picturehouse and Curzon chains) are taking part in these kind of events and I urge you to support them if the opportunity arises.