The left-leaning Ken Loach, who has spent his career focusing on the struggles of the poor and working classes of Great Britain, shifts his view-finder to the plight of a union of office-cleaners, invisible in the glittering City of Angels. Loosely based on a 1990 janitor's strike at Century City, the events are seen through the eyes of Maya (Pilar Padilla) a young Latina, who hopes only to find work in the United States. Through her sister, Rosa (Elpidia Carrillo), she gets a job at an office-cleaning company, whose largely Latino work force labors without benefits for $5.75 hour. Since many ... of the workers are undocumented aliens, they live in constant fear of their brutal boss, Perez (George Lopez). Even so, the arrival of union organizer Sam (Adrien Brody) is hardly greeted with elation by the workers, who know how easily they could be fired were they found at a union meeting. Yet, as the workers debate the risks and rewards of joining the union, Maya finds herself to drawn to the humorous, but intensely dedicated Sam, whose seemingly whimsical tactics prove to be surprisingly effective. Despite his clear belief in the importance of the union, Loach's sensitivity won't allow him to scant the complexities of the lives of his characters, a quality best expressed in Rosa's disturbing final revelation. The entertainment lawyer's party features cameos by a number of stars, including William Atherton, Ron Perlman, Stephanie Zimbalist, Benicio Del Toro, and Tim Roth.
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Moving and Inspirational
In this film Loach does what he does best, provide inspiration through his gritty realism and analysis of a particular social ill. The acting in this film, particularly from the women that form the janitors is really excellent and sometimes it feels like a documentary but with the sunshine of LA.
Comedy on the Picket Line
Bread & Roses is a slogan from the American trade union movement of the early twentieth century. Instead of recreating the events of that period, Ken Loach and his team have produced a funny, modern trade union drama. As with the events of the orginal Bread and Roses stikes, the strikers were immigrants and mostly women.
Whether you agree with the politics of the director or not, on a basic level this film is entertaining, and shows the director and his team have a sympathetic attitude towards social injustice.
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