Good concept, poorly executed.

everything you have heard about this movie is true.

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

10 rated movies in my book are few and far between. In all the movies I've seen I have maybe given out this highest rating a dozen times. What are some of the elements that garnish this rating? The obvious well directed and well acted attributes are there as well as a wonderful intriguing script. The fact that the language spoken in this film is English and needs subtitles is an added fascinating element which only adds to the story itself. You are almost tempted not to read the subtitles and guess what the actors are saying. And it fascinates me as a sidebar to the main thrust of the movie. But the ending is what got me. All artists try to make a product that is outside the box. And I have never seen a better example of that than this film. Without giving away plot lines of the film, you walk away with a something very thought provoking which in itself is the mark of a great film.Do you remember a comedy show "Monty Python"? The writers approach was to never really end a skit as sometimes a punchline is a let-down. So they would write skits and then right in the middle of the script it would end. Take that concept and apply it to this gripping gritty film. The end credits role and you say to yourself "Huh?! It's over?" Then about five minutes later you understand where the director was trying to lead you and you realize the brilliance of this film. For days later you will be thinking of the film and draw your own conclusions of what transpired afterwords with several (I counted four) plots never coming to a conclusion. And the feeling of Liam's somewhat futile love for his mother sets in and rips at your heart. And you find yourself actually rooting for a drug dealer. Now that's something.I can only imagine the writer giving the plot line to the producer and trying to sell it. The producer would say "What? You think I'm going to put money into that? Who would see it?" I must disagree with an earlier review of this film on this site that says you would not want to watch it again. In fact, I would argue if it appeared on a channel and you came across it you would most definitely put the remote down and watch it again.

If I had to summarize this film in as few of words as possible, I'd say this: Sweet Sixteen is basically about a teenager who tries desperately to please his emotionally - and oftentimes physically - absent mother. It's about how very young people come to be criminals and drug dealers and the like. In a word, they either learn it from their parents, or they learn it from their friends, who in turn learn it from their parents. Or a combination of both. I liked this movie for the same reason I didn't like this movie -- it's very honest. I've always lived in nice places my entire life, but I have family members who this movie is basically exactly like how they live/d their lives and got involved in all sorts of bad things. It hit a little too close to home for me to like it very much. It may be necessary for people who want to know why some young people are so destructive, but if you already know the answer to that, you won't gleam any new philosophic insights from this movie. All in all, it's not a bad film, but the honesty and the intensity disturbed me a little bit. If you're bored or feeling like a melancholy movie or just randomly want to hear some heavy Scottish accents, I'd recommend it, but not if you know people who began screwing up their lives at a very young age, because then it'll just leave you sad. It doesn't really offer any solutions.

i really enjoyed this film heartwarming witty down to earth movie i found it very funny great acting by all the actors.Especially the young martin Compton superb acting diffenetly a name to look out for in the future.good title for the film as it portrays the struggle of Liam just before his sixteenth birthday trying to make life better for his mother and him but the harder Liam tries to make things better he seems to get deeper in to trouble.the film reminds me of Saturday night Sunday morning with Avery young Albert finney because of its working background and Albert finney also tries to make life easier but wines up in trouble with his attitude to his family.once again i loved this film plus its a story to get to grips with emothonely.

I watched this film in college, it was either for Film Studies or Media Studies, I knew I had to watch again one day, when I got the opportunity I'm glad I did, directed by Ken Loach (Kes, Cathy Come Home, Carla's Song, Looking for Eric). Basically in the gritty and dismal Scottish town of Greenock, where unemployment is rampant and there is little hope for the youth of the city, Liam (Scotland BAFTA winner Martin Compston) is a typical teenager, causing trouble and absorbing whatever goes on around him. Liam is waiting for the release of his mother Jean (Michelle Coulter), who is serving a prison sentence for a crime that was actually committed by her boyfriend Stan (Gary McCormack), a crude and obnoxious drug pusher, he works alongside Liam's equally rough and foul-mouthed, mean- spirited grandfather Rab. Liam is determined to rescue his mother from Stan and Rab, which means finding a safe haven beyond their reach, he has found a seemingly perfect caravan home, but he needs to raise a lot of money to buy it, not easy for a young man. Liam and his friends, including Pinball (William Ruane), come up with many crazy schemes in order to get money, and cause a lot of trouble along the way, it is only when Liam steals a stash of drugs from his grandfather that he can become a dealer himself and make the money he needs. Liam ends up crossing paths with the wrong people, being beaten up, and the caravan home is burned to the ground, but he gets a lucky break when a businessman who knows about the drug culture offers to help him, offering him a substantial pay, using a pizza delivery business as cover, and finding him a flat for him to rent for him and his mother. It comes to the day of Jean's release, Liam is happy to see her, and very excited to be able to show her the home that he has found them, she is surprised, they celebrate with a pizza party and DJ at the flat. However, Jean cannot help but fall back into the arms of thug Stan, Liam is upset and goes to confront them, she explains that she is grateful but is devoted to Stan, Liam is angered and gets into a fight with Stan, until Liam stabs him in the chest with a knife. In the end, Liam is last seen on the beach, he receives a call from his sister Chantelle (Annmarie Fulton), who reminds him that the day is his 16th birthday, she also mentions that the police are looking for him, and despite everything she still loves him, he walks towards the sea. Also starring Michelle Abercromby as Suzanne, Calum McAlees as Calum, Robert Rennie as Scullion and Martin McCardie as Tony. Compston is a non-professional actor, but is a great choice for the leading character who may be doing wrong, but for the right reasons, it is a simple story about a teenager doing whatever it takes to help himself and his ex-junkie mother, the majority of the film is depressing and hard-hitting, with drug dealing and violence, this and the swearing definitely makes the film worthy of an 18 certificate, but it leaves room for lighter moments, it is suggested you watch this with subtitles, the Scottish accents are very strong, a controversial but worthwhile drama. Good!