Looking for Eric (2009)

I'm a fan of Ken Loach and his gritty, and oh so earnest, working class heroes. In a resume populated with great films, my personal favorites range from 1994's social drama "Ladybird Ladybird" to 2002's crime laden "Sweet Sixteen" to 2006's epic war story "The Wind That Shakes The Barley." So I was a little surprised never to have heard of Loach's latest release, 2009's "Looking For Eric." Someone described it to me in advance by saying "Oh yeah, it's a Ken Loach comedy" and I thought "OK, this'll be interesting." I don't typically feel like smiling, much less laughing, during Loach's sometimes harrowing stories--but a great director is a great director. But while there are definitely comedic highlights to "Looking For Eric," I'm not actually sure it can be classified as a comedy. It's a drama with some funny bits as well as some fantasy thrown in. Truthfully, while I suspect others might like it more than I did, "Looking For Eric" was a bit of a misfire for me.

Its protagonist, Eric Bishop, is a man in crisis. Depressed and unsatisfied, he's raising two unruly stepsons and pining to reconnect more fully with his first wife. When his daughter needs childcare, it forces Eric into a relationship with the woman he left behind and starts to help him reevaluate the priorities in his life. But he can't do it alone. Eric conjures up his football hero Eric Cantona (playing himself) to be a mystical life coach. Slightly amusing at times, a bit awkward at others--Cantona is not a particularly nuanced actor--but the entire fantasy element never really connected with me. It's a fitfully funny idea, but it's only played for mild humor and real inspiration. But then, even this is overshadowed by an unconvincing turn into mob drama. One of the stepsons is in over his head and to extricate him from a dangerous group, Eric and his buddies dish out some vigilante justice.

Tonally, "Looking For Eric" is really all over the place. The "up with people" finale dealing with the mob is overly cutesy and unreal, the tentative romance with Eric and his ex-wife is sweet, the relationship with his sons is underdeveloped, the crime elements are familiar, and than there's Cantona--who's just odd. Steve Evets, in the lead, does a good job stringing it all together, and he works in overdrive to make you care. But he's surrounded by too much chaos. Both his boys are drawn in the sketchiest terms--but, all of the sudden, the plot shifts to center around one of them. As he hasn't really been developed as a character, the focus of "Looking For Eric" went a bit wonky. I guess I didn't actually dislike "Looking for Eric," ultimately I just didn't feel much of anything. Evets is the primary reason, for me, to recommend "Looking For Eric." KGHarris, 12/10.

This is one big, all cylinders firing, feel good with enough bitter sweet to choke a rat eating a hamburger. I loved the fat boys Mancunian mens' group. "Close your eyes and tell us what yer thinkin like". Yes, predictable there is alwys one thinking of a girl minus her kit-but the ensuing conversation had me on the ground clutching me belly. Shakespearean clowns riding along on that one. Its the working class humour, self effacing and on the make. Now Eric, what can you say. Not a fan of the mancuniuan ponies (away the Toon like and I never forgive them for stealing games and a title off us) but I like Eric. he's like Best, Law and Charlton. You own them regardless of who your tribe is because they were genius (please note Ronaldo is not in that sentence-cheers). So, in this movie Eric the maverick philosopher fits right in. Takes the piss out of hiself. See some of his magic at work on the theatre of dreams green turf. Kung fu anyone? But the man can also act and so he dovetails nicely with Steve Evets. This is a celebration of the resilience and plonkerness of working class men of a certain age (mine) which is why I relate to it. Didn't I just want Eric the postman to win at least one jackpot in life. Good man Loach!

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Hmm, this wasn't really what I was expecting to be honest, and I'm at a bit of a loss to review it, but I will plough on regardless.

Looking for Eric is not necessarily a search for Mr Cantona, the talismanic player for Manchester United in the mid 90s, although Mr Cantona assists in the search, but more the voyage of postman Eric to come to terms with his own life, the loss of his first love, and the regret he feels for his actions, and the struggles of trying to bring up his 2 wayward teenage step sons in today's Manchester, whilst he himself remains routed in the past.

Mr Cantona assists in this endeavour by appearing as an hallucination bringing Eric the benefits of his Gallic philosophies, as Eric struggles to come to terms with the situation he is in.

Thankfully, Eric has a good bunch of friends; both from his postman job, and from his football interest, FC United of Manchester, illustrates the other main point made in the film.

Eric and his friends represent the traditional working class fanbase of football, who supported Manchester United before they became the prawn sandwich eating "Pride of Singapore" and feel disenfranchised by the fact that whilst the local drug dealer has a box at Old Trafford, they cannot afford to attend the games any more. FC United of Manchester was formed by these disenfranchised fans, and these are the people who ultimately come to Eric's aid, when drug dealers threaten Eric's family.

So, the film is a commentary about a man reclaiming his past and his future, and about a group of football supporters reclaiming their heritage. It's quite prescient taking into account the teams in financial difficulty, and yet another Manchester United takeover battle in the offing.

The acting is top notch from this ensemble cast, and Eric Cantona, is, well, Eric Cantona, and his likeability, oddness and charisma come across rather nicely in the film.

So, I am still left feeling this is an odd film, but it charmed me enough to write a serious review about it, so it must have done something right.

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The premise of this movie is terrific--a man down on his luck looks to inspiration from his hero, Manchester United's legendary Eric Cantona who appears as himself in the movie as a sort of mentor to the other Eric the protagonist of the story.

What gets me annoyed most about the story is the progression is way too simplistic. Are we really supposed to believe that this depressed guy finally snaps out of what seems like a 30-year depression just because his friend introduces him to a "visualization" technique that opens the door to Eric Cantona offering him advice? It's funny and all but it doesn't quite explain his past 30 years.

Then the fact this scrawny guy can win back the love of his life so quickly is the stuff of movie scripts not reality. Not that I need a movie to be "real" but I think this movie is trying to present working class Manchester as a "real" place but often it seems more "Coronation Street" than anything.

Plus what is never explained is why one of the two sons who live with him is black. Is he adopted? Was Eric the postman married three times as he has three children in the movie?

The climactic scene is hilarious and makes the movie worthwhile (and I won't give it away) as do the Cantona hilite scenes (some of these goals he conjures up in a Utd shirt are the stuff of genius) and the scenes where Cantona offers his philosophy on life to Eric albeit in a mumbly sort of English that is hard to catch at times.

Lastly, you might need a degree in English soccer to follow some of the references. It helped that I knew about the FC United movement, the Selhurst Park incident that got Cantona banned for nine months and the "seagull" press conference statement (which you do get to see in the closing credits and is still as ironic and over the British press's heads as ever).

There are zero extras on the DVD other than the boring old deleted scenes and trailers.

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It was just what the doctor ordered. Low key and low prices, this movie kept staring at me until I searched and found it quickly enough. Perfect

Vendor delivery was fast and product played perfect. I'll be loyal to this one. I used to give great cs, I've always expect it back

Thank you.

Joe pantozzi

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