How would a film about football fanatics go down with a theatre full of film fanatics? Turns out that Ken Loach’s Looking For Eric was a good pick for the Opening Night Gala of the 56th Sydney Film Festival. A feel good comedy with a dose of pathos, the film delighted last night’s audience much like it did in Cannes.
This year the SFF is daring audiences to get off the couch with the bold tag line, “Don’t Try This At Home” — the idea being that the true film experience can only be achieved within the theatre. And for Sydney, which hosts many of its screenings in the atmospheric and ornate State Theatre, the claim is impossible to refute. Indeed the 12 films selected for the festival’s second Official Competition will screen at the State Theatre.
Once again an impressive jury has been assembled to award the $60,000 prize and bestow the trophy colloquially dubbed the ‘Blue Pavlova’. Comprised of Jury President and Australian filmmaking icon Rolf de Heer, actress Miranda Otto, German director Oliver Hirschbiegel (Downfall), Danish director Lone Scherfig (Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself) and Canadian filmmaker (and adopted Australian) Ted Kotcheff (Wake in Fright), this jury has an equally impressive selection of films to consider.
First up we have a tale of two Erics. Ken Loach’s football fable sees down-and-out postman Eric Bishop (Steve Evets) descend into paroxysms of panic at the prospect of having to reconnect with his ex-wife, Lily (Stephanie Bishop), whom he literally left holding the baby some 20-odd years ago. Eric’s well meaning mates attempt to snap him out of his funk by indulging in a bit of group therapy and positive visualisation. The result — well aided by Eric pilfering his stepson’s pot — is that he congers himself a legendary life coach in the form of Eric Cantona (in the flesh). Together the Erics deconstruct the source of his panic and — in a less schlocky way than it sounds –help him find himself.
The conceit of the phantom Cantona is well constructed and the source of most of the film’s laughs. Cantona does a great job playing the wooden, football philosopher, espousing obscure proverbs in heavily accented English or just as often in French. This Gallic stoicism is well complimented by Evets’ portrayal of the desperate and dejected Eric. The simple, unobtrusive cinematography doesn’t often place them in a two-shot, however their unlikely camaraderie easily translates to the audience.
Paul Laverty’s screenplay is at its best when Eric is starry eyed with his idol or at the bottom of a pint with his mates. Unfortunately the gangster subplot is a bit weak, and though Eric displays courage under fire, the action seems to hijack his personal catharsis and instead works as a vehicle for the lightweight, if amusing, climax. One wonders what could have been if the action had stayed in the home, like the kitchen-sink drama it often reflects, and perhaps it could even more fully interrogated the realities of mental illness.
However for once it appears Loach is content to stray towards the lighter side of life. And in a film that could almost be described as The Full Monty for football hooligans, the result is engaging, thoughtful and fun. Eric Bishop sees football as an opportunity to get together with your friends and forget about your life for a couple of hours.
The same can definitely be said for cinema.
For program details, visit the Sydney Film Festival website
