It's a Free World

It's a Free World (2007)
Another film festival entry, one I almost bypassed seeing as it was preceeded by a short movie about people trafficking in Eastern Europe. This short managed to be a bit disturbing not by its treatment of humans but I was put off by a scene where a cat is drowned. I understand that maybe it was mean to be a touch of irony, but really I don't think it was necessary. To me, animal and child cruelty are horrid unnecessary scenes that I don't want to see in a movie I paid $14 to view.

Anyways Ken Loach as always shows a touch of real life in a movie where the characters are realistic, vulnerable and raw. Angie is an East Ender single mother who in trying to make her situation better, begins an agency to provide casual workers for low paid jobs. Often exploiting illegal immigrants and dealing with dodgy bosses, me and my friends remarked at the end that maybe our lives weren't so bad after all and we would stop complaining for the day. Tomorrow we will be back to moaning about our jobs, just not as loudly.

There are touches of humour and the Angie is a likable soul, but really it is a bit of a grim sad story that you know will be happening in a thousand cities around the world, and even in New Zealand we know that this goes on with many immigrants. Maybe for me the appeal of this type of movie, and much of the film festival content is being able to see real faces on the big screen. I am super sick of blockbuster Hollywood hunks and CSI bimbo models who grace so many shows. Good on you Ken Loach, 3/5.