Riff-Raff (1991)
-
91% of critics liked it
(11 reviews) -
62% want to see it
(532 ratings)
Socialist-leaning British director Ken Loach kicked off a decade's worth of acclaimed cinema with this surprisingly comic tale of working class laborers at a North London building site, written by Bill Jesse, a real-life construction worker who died before the film's release. Scottish ex-con… More Socialist-leaning British director Ken Loach kicked off a decade's worth of acclaimed cinema with this surprisingly comic tale of working class laborers at a North London building site, written by Bill Jesse, a real-life construction worker who died before the film's release. Scottish ex-con Stevie (Robert Carlyle) finds work on a non-union crew converting a hospital into luxury condos. Like most of his coworkers, Stevie is homeless and finds a place to live by squatting in an abandoned building. The crew is exploited by its supervisors and endures unsafe conditions, and pay is so low that the men use false names so that they won't have to pay taxes. Stevie discovers a lost handbag, and when he returns it to the owner, a spacey hopeful singer named Susan (Emer McCourt), he falls in love. He and Susan are soon living together -- then Stevie discovers that his girlfriend is a habitual drug user. Meanwhile, the most outspoken worker, Larry (Ricky Tomlinson) loses his job when he questions authority once too often. Loach cast only actors who had construction experience in the film, kicking off the career of Carlyle, who later surged to stardom in The Full Monty (1997). ~ Karl Williams, Rovi
- Directed By
- Ken Loach
- Written By
- Bill Jesse
- Genres
- Drama, Comedy
R,
Critic Reviews
-
Emanuel Levy, Screendaily
Laced with humor, this is a humanistic tribute to the survival with dignity of the British working class
-
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Compelling proletarian social consience urban drama set in London.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
Featured Audience Ratings
Currently unavailable on Flixster
Also available on
Other Retailers
Not Available
Not Available
Not Available
Subscription Services
Not Available
Not Available
Not Available
Cast
-
Robert Carlyle
as Stevie
-
Emer McCourt
as Susan
-
Jimmy Coleman
as Shem
-
George Moss
as Mo
-
Willie Ross
as Gus Siddon
-
Ricky Tomlinson
as Larry
-
David Finch
as Kevin
-
Richard Belgrave
as Kojo
-
Ade Sapara
as Fiaman
-
Bill Moores
as Smurph
-
Tracy Brabin
as Singer
-
Brian Coyle
as Youth
-
Debra Gillett
as Singer
- Bill Jesse
-
Jimmy Jewel
as Pub Band
-
Angela Morant
as Estate Agent
-
Peter Mullan
as Jake
-
Terry Duggan
as Boss in office
-
James MacDonald
as Funeral Director
- Jim R. Coleman
