South Philly Review

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An incongruous blend of ideas and feelings constitutes “Looking for Eric,” a weird and wobbly new film by Ken Loach, the English auteur of kitchen-sink realism. In the mix is a sweet aside about romantic reconciliation, a fan’s fantasy about former French footballer Eric Cantona (who plays himself), a crime drama involving teenagers and a fearsome ex-con, a nice message about the importance of friends and — striving to fuse it all together — a coming-of-middle-age redemption tale starring Eric Bishop (Steve Evets), a Manchester-based postman whose weaknesses have eaten away at his life.

Taken separately, these threads each have a specific appeal: Bishop’s reluctant meetings with Lily (Stephanie Bishop), the ex-wife he abandoned 30 years ago, are carefully laced with pain, recognition and the possibility of forgiveness; his hallucinatory interactions with Cantona, his all-time hero who sporadically appears to offer advice, provide wry comedy and insights on the nature of celebrity; his attempt to alleviate his disrespectful stepson’s rock-and-a-hard-place mix-up with a local gangster generates genuine tension; and his powwows with his loyal mates have a liveliness that, in true Loach fashion, feels entirely unscripted.

Together, though, they leave the audience unsure as to where to focus its attention, or, more importantly, its concern. And while Evets plays him with great naturalism, Bishop, the non-stick glue of a protagonist, doesn’t inspire sympathy – half his troubles are self-inflicted, and his growth of a backbone isn’t the stand-up-and-cheer event the movie wants it to be. (A screwball, foil-the-bad-guy finale, on the other hand, is as rousing as it is unconventional.)

Loach – whose latest, “Route Irish,” is currently considered a frontrunner for the Palme D’Or at Cannes – attempts lighter fare with “Looking for Eric,” and winds up with something that carries little weight. Written by the director’s frequent collaborator Paul Laverty, it seems to have its heart in the right place ... too bad there’s no telling where, exactly, that is.

Looking for Eric
NR
Two reels out of four
Opens tomorrow at the Ritz Five

The Road

R
Available Tuesday

In “The Road,” director John Hillcoat’s long-delayed translation of Cormac McCarthy’s masterful novel, Viggo Mortensen gives another powerful performance as a father desperately trying to protect his son (Kodi Smit-McPhee) in a treacherous post-apocalyptic world.

Co-starring Charlize Theron and Robert Duvall, the film lacks the book’s emotional heft and a needless voiceover preaches the obvious, but there’s no shortage of gripping suspense and Hillcoat’s exacting vision is eerily authentic.