Looking for Eric by Ken Loach

Everything sounds real in this film : the situation, like in all Ken Loach films is dramatic, but treated on such a sensitive and humorous way that you have the feeling those people could be your friends. Houses, pubs, streets, food, everything is everyday British life.

The dialogues are sometimes really funny. Like when Eric Cantona starts to send one of his philosophical messages...and the poor postman doesn't understand them... And says he hasn't yet decrypted  the message with the sea gulls...

I liked this story of a man who gets back his dignity thanks to his idol, Eric Cantona, who appears and disappears, and helps him find the solutions to his problems : how can I speak to my ex wife whom I still love, after 30 years? How can I make my sons (who are not really his) live normal lives? It's a sort of auto therapy but with the help of your idol...

And when he has to fight gangsters to save one of his sons, it's the postmen, united, who help him.Once again the familiar theme in Ken Loach's work : the importance of your friends in your life (Isn't the name Manchester United the best example here?)

Like in all Ken Loach's films, working class people are our everyday heroes, but this time, a real Hero appears, and it's Eric Cantona, who had received so much love from Manchester United and his supporters, whenas in France, no one understood the strength of this man as an artist, in his way of seeing his football, and in the fact that he painted, had ideas... Now that he has really become and artist, an actor, French people re-discover him as a football player! It's deeply ironical!

And the auto derision of the character is great as well!

All the actors are excellent in this film.With a fantastic Steve Evets as Eric the Postman! And the gang of postmen  are hilarious!