BootDigest Such a frustrating disappointment

WiseRatFlames An unexpected masterpiece

Afouotos Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

Maidexpl Entertaining from beginning to end, it maintains the spirit of the franchise while establishing it's own seal with a fun cast

freemantle_uk Grim social dramas and kitchen sink dramas are a stable of the British film industry. There are ever present in some form or another and Ratcatcher served as Lynne Ramsay's directional debut.In a rough housing estate in Glasgow in the 1970s James Gillespie (William Eadie) is a 12-year-old boy who accidentally kills another boy during a fight. Despite his guilt James hopes his family can move to a new housing estate and way from the urban decay and poverty of his home area as rubbish builds up on the street. During the course of the film James befriends an older girl, Margaret (Leanne Mullen), who is used as a sex toy for a gang of local thugs, sees the anti-social behaviour and social deprivation of the area.Ratcatcher is certainly a grim film as we see the world of urban poverty, whilst Ramsay also adds some artistic flashes. Ratcatcher is an art-house film that film scholars would eagerly dissects every scene and shot with glee. But as a story there is no real narrative throughline, as elements are more loosely connected. There are obvious themes about a young boy coming-of-age, losing his innocents in a number of ways, his sexual awakening and wider themes about urban decay, social commentary about ignored estates and how authority is distrusted as we see it through a child's eyes.There are many story lines that could easily have worked as their own films, whether it is a whole story of a young boy trying to hide what he did whilst also struggling alone with his guilt, or a film about why Margaret is abused and the impact on the girl or even seeing more through the boy's eyes.Ratcatcher is a very well-acted film with the young cast and Ramsay does not shy away from the more controversial aspects of the film. Ramsay does showcase a very cruel environment that is tough to watch (and it meant to be). Ramsay also has more dreamy quality to some of her scenes and shots, such as when James is running in a field. But there is a sequence with a mouse floating when tied to a balloon which was really out of place.Ratcatcher is a solid debut film from Ramsay, but it is a film that is lacking a real story or drive. There are better films with this type of setting and have more of a story, including the Glasgow set Red Road.

bandw (Spoilers) This is the story of a few weeks in the life of twelve-year-old James. The setting is Glasgow in 1973, toward the end of a nine week garbage collector's strike. James lives with his two sisters and parents in a lower-class neighborhood. I would say that James' family was working class, but I could never tell whether his father had a job--his main interests seemed to be drinking and watching television. The rat-infested bags of garbage lining the streets is a good backdrop to punctuate the squalor that James has been born into.James has no male friends to speak of, but he does take up with Margaret, a young girl who is used by the local boys for sexual escapades. I found the extreme realism worked against the movie in many ways. Given James' bleak environment, it is no wonder that his emotional dexterity had been checked. As James, William Eadie effects a remoteness that is believable, but a remoteness that kept me at a distance from connecting with him.There is a little relief offered from the downbeat story line. There is a scene that has James taking a bath with Margaret where the two are enjoying themselves in non-sexual playfulness. On occasion James goes to the outskirts of town to visit a housing project under construction. Beyond the project is an open wheat field that James runs through in a state of ecstasy, delighting in having escaped the claustrophobia of his life in the city. These scenes are effectively filmed to give testament to James' desires for freedom and a better life, desires that his fate will prevent.I give the movie credit for style--the colors and music help with providing emotional content for the episodes. Unfortunately the emotional content was predominantly depressing. I ask myself what I am to take away from a movie like this. I can appreciate the artistry of the presentation, but any further value is hard to come by. I know that poverty exists and lots of people are living dead end lives trapped in miserable situations, so I don't get any better understanding of that. Is a movie like this a plea for some action to be taken to provide more opportunity for such people? Are state-funded housing complexes part of a solution, as hinted at here? I think that if James' family were to get into one of the housing units, they would simply be situating their problems in a better environment. The grim ending shows that director Ramsay is playing this for real, but it's a reality that left me with a sense of hopelessness.

Theo Robertson I was expecting to hate this movie with a vengeance . I saw Lynne Ramsey's later film MORVERN CALLAR and thought it was the biggest waste of celluloid it had been my displeasure to see so I wasn't expecting anything better with RATCATCHER However I was surprised by Ramsey's feature length debut . Let's be blunt this isn't a movie that will pack the local cineplex on a Friday night , it's very low concept and character driven with a naturalistic style as used by Mike Leigh and Ken Loach . But the beauty of this movie is that it shows the world what the Scots are like . People all over the world genuinely believe we wear kilts and play the bagpipes and worship the Loch Ness Monster . Not true . The Scots can be the friendliest people in the world , we can be the most selfish people in the world , and ( Whisper it ) we can be the most ignorant and drunken people in the world too This extends to the ( Scottish ) world that surrounds the tragic young James . His world is unbearable he looks for love and escape in an unloving miserable world . I guess that's a universal theme but you'd need to be from Scotland to understand this film better . certainly I could relate to it in some parts but like I said it's a million miles removed from a commercial mainstream feel good movie and the use of strong language (The Scots are rather foul mouthed ) alone will turn off a potential audience . You won't confuse RATCATCHER with BRAVEHEART

thecomputersaysno Ratcatcher tells the story of a young boy, James, on a Glasgow estate, wracked with guilt over a friend's death and faced with a future that seems already mapped out for him.Set against bin man strikes in the 1970's, with black rubbish bags strewn across the grim urban wasteland and rowdy bullies always around the corner, Ramsey's film creates a bleak vision of this era for a boy's upbringing. The film follows James and observes the relationship with his parents and peers and how he creates hope when there appears little.The visions of hope can be seen throughout, but only, like James, if you take the effort to explore or look closely; the field, the bus driver, the medal, the teenage girl, the shoes, the glasses, the mouse etc. Ratcatcher contains some super images, my favourite being James upon the sofa (I won't spoil it, watch it and see).If you're really into this type of bleakness, why not create a double bill with "Young Adam"? It may not appear the most cheery of films, but you can't help caring about James and sharing some hope.