Movie Review: Ratcatcher (1999)

Directed by: Lynne Ramsay

Plot: It’s Summer of 1973 in Glasgow, Scotland. A young lad, James struggles with the guilt of an unfortunate incident involving the death of his neighbour, and friend, Ryan. To make matters worse, James’ at home life isn’t going well either. His father, known as “Da”, played by the outstanding (Tommy Flanagan) can act up when he’s under the influence of alcohol which can cause tension between the two. The family also struggles with the poor neighbourhood they know as home. The streets are littered with rubbish as there is a strike amongst the city’s dustmen. Will James one day see his dreams come true of living in a cleaner and safer environment?

Review: Ratcatcher is a story of hope. An emotional story that will capture your heart within the first few minutes of the opening shots. It’s quiet , dirty, depressing, and overwhelmingly beautiful. More importantly, it’s real. It really shows a dark side of 1970’s Glasgow. The neighbourhood setting is extremely grim. However, it’s not all “glass half empty”. The acting and on screen chemistry between every character is stunning. Ramsay’s directing soars for her directorial debut. She even wrote the damn thing! Several shots are gorgeous. If you’re looking for excitement and a lot going on, this isn’t the one for you. If you feel like an emotional story with authenticity, love, loss, great effort, and power- this is the film for you. In many ways, it reminded me of others such as ‘Billy Elliot’ (2000), and ‘Saturday Night and Sunday Morning’ (1960). If you feel like giving this one a shot, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. 

3.5 out of 5 

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Quinn Hainey