Looking for Eric (2009)
Genre: Drama / Comedy
Duration: 116 minuten
Country:
United Kingdom / France / Italy / Belgium / Spain
Directed by: Ken Loach
Stars: Steve Evets, Éric Cantona and Smug Roberts
IMDb score:
7,1 (18.597)
Releasedate: 27 May 2009
Looking for Eric plot
"To win back the love of his life, Eric's going to need a little training."
Eric is a postman and above all a fan of Manchester United. His unruly stepsons and chaotic family make his private life a mess. Eric can't figure it all out on his own, but help comes from a very unexpected quarter...
Actors and actresses
Self
Eric Bishop
Lily
Meatballs
Ryan
Jess
Sam
Spleen
Young Eric
Smug
Reviews & comments
Filmkriebel
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- 10012 messages
- 4678 votes
Eric & Eric
Haha funny. Yet also unbalanced. The turn from social drama to crime story feels like a forced crowd pleaser in which the effect on the audience is especially important. Loach is fortunately not the least and he ultimately makes it anything but a silly comedy.
Cantona plays the voice in the other Eric's head to encourage him to take the right actions and decisions. Because the life of postal worker Eric is a mess to say the least: two sons over whom he has no authority and one of whom starts to go down the criminal path, an ex he hasn't seen for a long time but who still makes his heart beat. His life is a mess in which he is gradually sinking. Now he's at a turning point, that point where he's doing the things he needs to do to live an honorable man. The climax is really funny and shows that solidarity is a powerful weapon. This was Loach's 12th film I saw... not my favorite of his but also made as it should be.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Lovelyboy
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- 3953 messages
- 2955 votes
Very well-known title at the time the film came out, and I think the film garnered quite a lot of praise at the time. However, it never came to a viewing, quite a shame since I am a decent United supporter and the film seems almost mandatory. Partly because of the cycle, it finally happened.
The story is clear about postman Eric with his dysfunctional family, wistful to what once was with the regret of bad choices. Partly due to the concerns of his colleagues/comrades, Eric at one point projects hero Eric Cantona in front of him as a kind of 'spirit animal', a term from Fight Club, which postman Eric begins to provide with sometimes rather special sayings. In the midst of his own mess, he also has to deal with his two young boys who mainly go their own way and get into trouble. It can't be better for Eric Bishop who fortunately has the support of his comrades.
Evets does act well, but it doesn't really grab me at all. Eric's resurrection from Eric, how ironic, is nice but neither the fireworks nor the humor really shines, just like the trouble one of the boys brings in. Fortunately, the meditation scene is precious, just like the Mancunian home invasion that brings the necessary life to the whole. Also nice to sprinkle the nostalgic images of King Eric on the fields like a magician with the best possible goals. What a phenomenon that man was that man. And then, of course, there is the successful time in which the film is set. Because the CL match against Barca being named may well be the semi-final en route to the 07/08 final in which Chelsea were beaten. It could also be the lost final a year later.
All in all, Looking for Eric can be called a fine film with its pros and cons. But partly because of my United glasses, the figure is slightly higher.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Fisico
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- 10039 messages
- 5398 votes
It's because I like Ken Loach's movies that I watched this one. Not a typical Ken Loach in any case, where he doesn't criticize the social injustices in the British 'welfare' state. This film is a bit too light-hearted for that, although the lower social working class also comes to the fore here. For many of them, football is a weekly outlet. There is not much more for them, besides that unconditional friendship and mutual respect.
Football is a nice light-hearted note in the film, which for the rest revolves around broken relationships and adolescents. Cantona is actually an imaginary psychologist in the film which I can tolerate conceptually, but I don't like the actor Eric Cantona much. Now, football is only sporadically discussed, especially in the first part of the film where some editing material from Cantona's best moments is shown. It's like narcissistic propaganda. No karate kick to a Crystal Palace fan in sight.
A fine Evets who wants to get his derailed life back on track. He just needs an extra push in the back so that despite some problems this film turns out to be a kind of feel good or happy ending film.
Translated from Dutch · View original
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