Review of Ratcatcher (1999) by Joel B — 14 Jun 2007

For some reason I expected something bleak and harsh, but while this film is dark there's a good deal of warmth, playfulness, and even whimsy (particularly the scene where the rat goes to the moon).

I saw echoes of many classic coming-of-age films, including The 400 Blows and Killer of Sheep (though that may be a coincidence since it was so hard to see until recently). The Criterion DVD includes Ramsay's short films, some of which I liked as much, if not more, than Ratcatcher.