Bread and Roses

Bread and Roses 2000

• Director: Ken Loach
• Films seen by this director: I Daniel Blake, The Angel’s Share, Sweet Sixteen, My Name is Joe, Carla’s Song, Land and Freedom, Raining Stones, Riff-Raff, Kes
• Based on a book: no
• Cast: Pilar Padilla, Adrien Brody, Elpidia Carillo
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Adrien Brody – Detachment, Cadillac Records, Darjeeling Limited, King Kong, The Village, The Pianist, Liberty Heights, The Thin Red Line
• Elpidia Carillo -  Nine Lives, Solaris
• Why? Ken Loach. Good film.
• Seen: Twice before. Now 23 August 2020      

       Maya (Padilla) is a feisty young woman who works hard to make a new life in California after escaping across the border and from the coyotes who steal her money. Her sister Rosa (Carillo) gets her a cleaning job at the same office high-rise. On Maya’s first day she runs into (almost literally) union organiser Sam (Brody) as he is chased by the bosses who don’t want him there.

       Maya joins the movement for liveable wages, benefits, respect from the bosses.

       It may be California but it’s still Ken Loach. Brody is good as always and Padilla and Carillo are outstanding.

       Si, se puede!

 5* of 5

 PS it was fun to catch very quick glimpses of Benito del Toro, Ron Perlman and Tim Roth at the party the union members crashed.