Review of Sweet Sixteen (2002) by Laramay C — 09 Nov 2010

Anchored by an exceptional central performance from the then unknown Martin Compston, and superb support from the equally inexperienced actors gravitating around him, Loach's Sweet Sixteen beautifully etches out the tragic and inevitable consequences of both cyclic domestic violence (a point literally driven home in the dying seconds of the picture) and abject poverty. As a result we get this often hilarious and touching movie, a film less concerned with it's politics (suprisingly) and more interested in the innocence and charm of it's central character.

Though often hard to swallow, the language in particular is frequently rather challenging, overall this is definately Loach and Laverty at their best.