Looking for Eric

I've Heard Of Fantasy Football, But Never Fantasy Football Players
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...

Found! A film that transcends football, the human condition and cans of sardines chucked from fishing boats
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...

Quirky
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...

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