Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.

One of those movie experiences that is so good it makes you realize you've been grading everything else on a curve.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

Of course Loach is a master of directing already. And he is getting better looking, prettier movies every time. But I wonder if he is getting softer on political issues? We see a really serious political conflict is watered down to something like Footloose. So they open a dancing hall and the church opposes it, than the owner gets deported... twice. For only wanting to dance!Well Jimmy here IS a political figure and actually he IS a communist in all his ideas except he didn't enlist in the communist party. Why else would they want him to gather the people when they want to take back the house of a poor family when it is taken by the landlord? Would that be because he own a dance hall? People don't only dance, sing and paint in that hall. They read and discuss and politically organize there. When the church says "education" is in it's hands, it is not like they don't know it so innocently. They know that the church have a monopoly over education and culture... and they know the church is in bed with the rich folks and the British. And they are well aware they are defying it. The hall is the cultural extension of the civil war. And all the people attending it are political activists well aware of their actions. Not just fighting for their right to party. Here goes the disgusting liberal thought that political activist and revolutionaries cannot have fun... basically; political is not fun. As if you have to choose one or another.I don't really think all movies always have to have so deep meaning and a political stand. I also watch Ironman to pass time. But that IS what I expect of Ken Loach. When it says Ken Loach on the title, I actually expect something to shake me to my core. I am truly disappointed in him for watering down his ideals to get more mass appeal. (or whatever reason, but this reminds me of the Chumbawamba song: Love me, I'm a liberal!)Spoiler: "we will keep on dancing Jimmy!" "Yeah, I'll send you money to throw a party..." Well it IS retiring time for Mister Loach.

For many years now, I've been a huge fan of English filmmaker Ken Loach's work. I'm glad I read recently he's reconsidering his retirement announcement. Here, with a sharp screenplay from Paul Laverty, who often collaborates with Loach, the director presents a most powerful drama, inspired by the life of Jimmy Gralton.Set mostly during the worldwide Great Depression, Gralton is returning home to his native Ireland, after 10 years of self-imposed exile. During political unrest, and facing imminent arrest, he fled his homeland and had been living in New York City.Although a treaty has been signed following a Civil War, in Ireland, tensions remain high between various factions in the country. Amid this turmoil, Gralton, ably portrayed by Barry Ward, wants to work his family farm in peace, in County Leitrim.However, he's approached by a group of local youths who ask him to revitalize and re-open the hall he owns, which has been shut for years and is completely dilapidated. The hall used to be a vital community center for the locals, with music, dance, and various lessons being taught there.With the help of friends and the local citizens, the hall is indeed restored and brought "back to life". However, it becomes the bane of the powerful local Catholic Church, led by Father Sheridan (Jim Norton), who feels it's a threat to his authority, and the playing of such music as jazz (imported from America) is disgraceful. Father Sheridan begins to go to any lengths to disparage all the locals who go there, and brands Gralton and his friends as Communists and subversives.At the same time, powerful and rich land owners are trying to squeeze out many local farmers, by foreclosing on them without due process. The land barons, supported by the British, join with the Catholic Church and begin a campaign of violence, threats, and intimidation vs. Gralton and his many supporters.All in all, I found this latest Loach film to be impeccably directed, well written and acted by a top notch cast. Plus, we get some wonderful Irish music and dance along the way.

There are many movies made about oppression, but not nearly enough. In this story based on facts and one man's intention to give culture, song and dance to his small, impoverished community, it defies belief that this travesty of injustice occurred.As usual, the Catholic Church, the overlords and the unjust legal system come together to destroy any chance a small community has of the vital birth-right of culture and harmony for those who need it most; an isolated county in Ireland.As one man steps up, after having been deported once already for the grand crime of opening a hall where people can learn such basic things as song, dance, art, literature and boxing, after his ten first ten year deportation, the local youth who have nothing to look forward to in life, convince him to do so again.This is a straightforward movie about a circumstance that defies belief, and yet it occurred. Worth the watch for anyone who understands that oppression and fascism is wrong and that normal people deserve joy, community and to fight back when their world makes no sense on account of simply wanting to life a life.

Except for the theme, you can't really recognize it's a Ken Loach film. It's over sentimental, well completely cheesy, horribly Manichean, it has some the most terrible and stiff acting i've seen in years. The scene where Jimmy's old love try the dress he has given her and where they dance together is awkward and disgustingly lit, the least subtle thing in a film that walks with big heavy wooden clogs. The end is a pastiche of Dead Poet Society's ending, some young smiling idiots are chanting for him while cycling behind the police van that is taking our failed hero back to America where he is deported, thank god for us. For a director that has done so much for English cinema, Riff Raff, Lady Bug Lady Bug, Poor Cow ... that made the most political and original films with economy of dialogs, bright and clever scripts, to be reduced to do a ultra conventional period drama, that sometimes over explain things to us like we're complete morons and sometimes is so historically or even narratively so vague to the point where it becomes laughable more than understandable is not only a shame but a waste of talent. It's meant to be all deep and political but in the end it's just a tower of clichés and a competition of bad acting belching a compilation of debilitating dialogs. He said he wanted to stop cinema after doing this atrocious crime against cinema, he should have stop before doing Carla's Song and save us from suffering in front of those boring films that resembles the most soporific history classes of our teenage hood, save THE WIND THAT SHAKES THE BARLEY, is only decent film in the last 20 years of his career. To see a Director sabotaging his legacy is not only appalling but depressing.