Looking for Eric

A lot of people seem to dismiss Ken Loach as a maker of dour socialist polemics. These people are usually British (the French sensibly adore him) and have obviously not seen any of his films recently. Yes, he can do passionately political (Land and Freedom, The Wind That Shakes The Barley, Carla's Song) but what he can also do brilliantly is an earthy humour that thrives among society's have-nots, that binds together friends and family and that gets them through the hard times. In his very best recent work, such as Riff-Raff, Raining Stones and My Name is Joe, the humour and the politics are inextricably entwined, drawing the viewer into the story via a genuine interest in the characters' lives.
Looking for Eric has plenty of humour but also a darker side, as we see how a life can sometimes spiral out of control before a person realizes what's happening. As far as the humour is concerned, not only do we have the (possibly marijuana-induced) appearance of Eric Cantona - a most unlikely saviour if ever there was one - into Eric Bishop's life, dispensing enigmatic bon mots in order to get him back on the right track, but there's also the loveable bunch of fellow posties determined to help their friend. The comic highlight is arguably the self-help session set up by Meatballs, which involves all the gang, some more sceptical than others. Meatballs himself takes these things *very* seriously, which can't be said about all of the group. However, where most films would merely poke fun at this unlikely band engaging in such an activity, there's a delightful surprise as the posties select the person they most admire. While Eric's choice of Cantona is a given, the rest range from Fidel Castro to Gandhi via Nelson Mandela, Sammy Davis and Frank Sinatra) In fact the real theme of the film is summed up by Cantona: "You have to trust your team mates. Always. Otherwise you are lost". It's only through the solidarity of the football fans that Eric can save his stepson from the clutches of a local criminal, but on a more mundane level, his workmates try to cheer him up and worry about him, and the Man Utd fans share a deep camaraderie. People are bound together by family ties, their work, their love for a football team. If you consider this dour polemic, then there's no hope for you.