Rent Ratcatcher for FREE
+70,000 other titles and counting
- Thousands of movies and TV series to watch instantly
- NO late fees or long term contracts - cancel anytime
- FREE first class post for Britain’s largest range of DVDs, Blu-rays & Games
Ratcatcher
1999
Lynne Ramsey's bleak, beautifully photographed debut unflinchingly portrays life in a Glasgow housing project during the 1973 garbageworkers strike as seen through the eyes of 12-year-old James Gillespie (William Eadie, in a soulful debut). As the film opens, James is playing with a friend near a filthy canal behind the .. Read more
| Starring | Tommy Flanagan, Bill Eadie, Mandy Matthews, Michelle Stewart |
|---|---|
| Director | Lynne Ramsay |
| Genres | Drama |
loading...
Ratcatcher
Lynne Ramsey's bleak, beautifully photographed debut unflinchingly portrays life in a Glasgow housing project during the 1973 garbageworkers strike as seen through the eyes of 12-year-old James Gillespie (William Eadie, in a soulful debut). As the film opens, James is playing with a friend near a filthy canal behind the projects when his friend tragically falls into the water and drowns. James chooses not to tell anyone that he saw the boy die, knowing that he will be implicated. This secret, along with his increasing lack of communication with his drunken football-loving father, causes James to become increasingly withdrawn, fantasizing about his family moving to a newly constructed apartment complex at the city limits on the edge of a beautiful, golden field of grain. As the garbage piles up and rats take up residency around the complex as if they were new tenants, James finds temporary solace in his friendships with Kenny, an odd boy who loves animals, and Margaret Anne, a teenage misfit who lets the local boys use her body as they wish.
While undeniably grim, RATCATCHER manages to combine unusually rich imagery and spare use of dialogue to create a realistic portrait of a simultaneously beautiful and cruel world. Punctuated with unexpected humor, Ramsey's film is subtle and rewarding.
| Starring | Tommy Flanagan, Bill Eadie, Mandy Matthews, Michelle Stewart, Leanne Mullen, Lynne Ramsay Jr., John Miller, Jackie Quinn, Rory McCann |
|---|---|
| Director | Lynne Ramsay |
| Studio | PATHE DISTRIBUTION |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 36 mins |
| Certificate |  |
| Collections | FILMCLUB Recommends... |
| Genres | Drama |
| Language | DVD: English |
| Released | Production year: 1999 To Rent: DVD: 01 Sep 2003 |
-
Critic's review
View all critics' reviews (6) -
-
"...Ramsay creates a searing portrait of a boy in a spiritual trap. Pay particular attention to Rachel Portman's spare music score that in counterpoint offsets Ramsay's imagery with a presence that does not simply massage our mood..."
- 11801
-
- Chicago Sun
- 11 Mar 2005 at 12:59
-
-
Most helpful member's review
View all members' reviews (38) -
-
- 20
- 9
ratcatcher
This artily shot and well-acted film is certainly evocative, but ultimately it's dull. Although bookended by two shocking events, there is next to no plot ... read more »
- 10023
-
[Highly rated reviewer]
- a customer
- Surrey, England
- 10 Jul 2004 at 08:30
-
-
Most recent members' reviews
View all members' reviews (38) -
-
- 0
- 0
Ratcatcher review
Original and uncomfortable viewing with a bleakness that is punctuated by moments of true visual beauty and moments of warmth.
Definitely one to ... read more » - 1113608
-
- Jumoak
- 12 reviews
- 23 Apr 2012 at 16:26
-
-
-
- 0
- 0
A great debut
A beautifully shot and powerful film. Lynne Ramsey's bleak and poignant debut film is a must-see piece of British film art. Don't let the pace put you ... read more »
- 1093295
-
- a customer
- 16 Feb 2012 at 23:54
-
-
-
- 0
- 0
Groundbreaking for Lyne Ramsey
This is the feature that really made people sit up and take notice of Lyne Ramsey. Bleak in terms of the storyline, with even bleakier locations, nevertheless ... read more »
- 1069689
-
- rogerg
- 17 reviews
- SOUTHSEA
- 03 Dec 2011 at 09:42
-
-
News and features
View all
We Need to Talk about Tilda
- 18 Oct 2011
What do George Clooney, Bela Tarr, Wes Anderson and Derek Jarman have in common? You probably guessed. They have all directed Tilda Swinton (Anderson in his latest, the forthcoming Moonrise Kingdom). Katherine Matilda Swinton is a rare creature. Tall, pale skinned, with red hair and drawn, curious features: thin lips, high forehead… Todd Haynes missed a trick when he failed to cast her as Ziggy Stardust in Velvet Goldmine. It’s no easy feat, to come from the avant-garde, the art... Read more
-
People who rented this also rented
Showing 1 to 4 of 20
powered by
Related user collection
Buy from Amazon.co.uk
-
-
-
Ratcatcher
Lynne Ramsey's bleak, beautifully photographed debut unflinchingly portrays life in a Glasgow housing project during the 1973 garbageworkers strike as seen through the eyes of 12-year-old James Gillespie (William Eadie, in a soulful debut). As the film opens, James is playing with a friend near a ...
-
Want to watch something right now?
Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Cookies and Internet Advertising | EULA | Affiliates | Jobs | Inside LOVEFiLM Blog | About Us | Contact Us
International sites UK DK DE SE NO
LOVEFiLM, the LOVEFiLM logo and all other LOVEFiLM product or service names are trade marks of LOVEFiLM International Ltd. or its affiliates.
© 2012 LOVEFiLM UK Ltd. or its affiliates. All Rights Reserved.
-
- Formats
- DVD
- Blu-ray
- HD DVD
- Cinema
- LOVEFiLM Instant
- Hotlists
- New releases
- Just added
- Coming soon
- Most popular
- Film or TV
- Film & Features
- Television
-
- DVD Charts
- UK weekly rental chart
- All time top 250
- BFI top 100
- AFI top 100
- Most wanted Blu-rays
- TV weekly rental chart
- The Collection Section
- Celebrity collections
- Unofficial collections
- User collections
-
- Hotlists
- New releases
- Coming soon
-
- LOVEFiLM Instant
- With package
- Box Office
- Free
- Hotlists
- New releases
- Just added
- Film or TV
- Film & Features
- Television
- LOVEFiLM on TV
- LOVEFiLM direct to your TV
- Connect your PC to your TV