The very hard times of old England captured bravely and beautifully.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #110992 in DVD
• Released on: 2000-02-01
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Colour, DVD-Video, Full Screen, PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 90 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Raining Stones is classic Ken Loach--an overtly bleak piece of drama shot through with defiant humour, a story of life beyond the edge of society. Bob (Bruce Jones in a role that foreshadows his more ludicrous Coronation Street character) is unemployed and struggling to make ends meet, especially with the added pressure of his young daughter's first communion and the expense involved. And that's it really--one man's struggle to maintain his dignity and provide for his family. Despite the film's frequent moments of comedy (more often than not provided by Loach regular Ricky Tomlinson), Raining Stones is ultimately more than a little disheartening. The film is in many ways similar to Loach's previous film, Riff Raff (1991), but here the examples of a community pulling together are countered with backstabbing and exploitation. In the end, there are no winners or losers in Loach's world, only those who survive and those who don't. --Phil Udell

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Customer Reviews

A grim yet strangely uplifting tale of unemployment
Next to the magisterial 'Kes', 'Raining Stones' is the ideal introduction to the work of Ken Loach, being a perfect example of his distinctive blend of warm human comedy and rueful reflection on the state of the nation - in this case, exploring the devastating effects of unemployment on a working-class family living in an unnamed town in the north of England. They just about make ends meet, their dole income supplemented by the odd (and mostly disastrous) bit of entrepreneurship, but when Bob decides that his young daughter must have a new dress for her communion, this sets in motion a disastrous chain of events involving a gang of notoriously vicious loansharks. It's a quiet, understated and often unexpectedly powerful piece of work, with sterling performances by Bruce Jones and the ever-reliable Ricky Tomlinson, and it's admirably balanced politically; Labour's failings are blamed just as much as the Tory policies that led to their plight in the first place. The DVD is fairly bare-bones, but it's not the kind of film where you need more than a competent transfer, and you certainly get that here. Highly recommended for Loach beginners - existing fans will almost certainly have seen it anyway.

The view according to www.georgevader.co.uk
Any movies that's two main stars are Ricky Tomlinson and Corries Bruce Jones (Les Battersby) has to be worth a go, and Raining Stones certainly is worth 90 minutes of anyone's time. Rick and Bruce play two Tommy and Bob (Williams! that's me!) two working class Northerners out to make a, usually dishonest, pound here and there.Bob, a devote Catholic, is certainly finding it tough as he tries to pay for his daughters communion dress, desperate though he borrows the money from a loan shark and from here his problems really do escalate.

Great characters, some nice touch's of humour and a great ending make this a highly rewarding experience.