Ron Perlman makes a very brief cameo
appearance in this gritty, thought-provoking drama by British director,
Ken Loach.
The storyline centers around two
Latina sisters who earn a pittance as office cleaners in downtown
Los Angeles, and fight for the right to unionize.
At one point in the film, the hispanic
cleaners invade a party at a big law firm and, as the union leader
delivers his demands, the camera pans around the room to reveal
Tim Roth, Benicio del Toro, Ron Perlman, Sam West and Chris Penn
looking mildly amused at the disruption.
Michael Rechtshaffen
of The Hollywood Reporter wrote that while "Bread and Roses"
marks his first time filming on American soil, Cannes favorite Ken
Loach ("My Name Is Joe," "Raining Stones") nevertheless finds
himself right at home with subject matter that once again deals
with the plight of the struggling working class.
Given that the group
in question happens to be Los Angeles office cleaners who fight
for unionization, the drama certainly has a ripped-from-the-headlines
resonance for Angelenos who recently witnessed a protracted, disruptive
janitors' strike played out in nightly newscasts.
Others should find the
David vs. Goliath story equally involving and often moving despite
some overly didactic passages, while screen newcomer Pilar Padilla
makes a strong impression as the film's fiercely spirited lead.
Loach's film begins
literally cutting to the chase as a group of illegal Mexican immigrants
are being smuggled across the border by abusive "coyotes" who separate
them from their children and loved ones until they pay their transport
fees in full. Among them is young, feisty Maya (Padilla) whose similarly
strong-willed, naturalized sister Rosa (Elpidia Carrillo) gets her
a job as a cleaner for Angel, a non-union janitorial company assigned
to a downtown office block.
Comprising mainly Latino
immigrants, legal and otherwise, the cleaners work long hours for
scant pay and zero benefits while also having to put up with constant
threats from their intimidating supervisor, Perez (George Lopez).
Enter Sam Shapiro (Adrien
Brody), an energetic activist with a healthy sense of mischief who
ultimately manages to make the workers see the union light despite
Perez and his various scare tactics. Sam also ignites a little spark
between himself and Maya, much to the displeasure of her admiring
co-worker, Ruben (Alonso Chavez), who fears that any unnecessary
boat-rocking will jeopardize his shot of getting a college grant.
But just in case the
above scenario might suggest "Norma Reyes," it should be
pointed out that Loach and screenwriter Paul Laverty, who also collaborated
with the filmmaker on "Carla's Song," offer no pat, crowd-pleasing
resolutions. Instead they serve up the bittersweet slices of marginalized
life for which Loach is famous. He's also known for casts that combine
seasoned professionals with fresh acting talent and authentic non-pros
with convincing results.
The major find here
is Mexican theater actress Padilla, who effectively gives the picture
its spunky soul. Good, too, are lanky Brody as the wave-making labor
crusader, Carrillo as Maya's sacrificing sister and stand-up comic
Lopez as their bullying boss.
Behind the scenes,
Loach and his frequent collaborators again eschew fancy footwork
in favor of an organic, verité approach that keeps the camera at
eye-level and the lighting natural, allowing the players to do their
thing without having to worry about hitting their technical marks.
The result might not always be pretty, but it's seldom uneventful.
BREAD AND ROSES. A
Parallax Pictures, Road Movies Filmproduktion and Tornasol/Alta
Films production.
Full
cast and crew
More
Reviews
Awards
