Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
A man trying to put his life back on track gets some advice from an unexpected benefactor -- the ex-footballer Eric Cantona.
Ken Loach's offbeat drama-comedy is a genuinely singular concept — a working-class Manchester postman finding life guidance through imaginary conversations with Eric Cantona. The blend of gritty social realism with surreal wish-fulfillment fantasy is distinctively Loach yet unlike anything else he made. Cantona's self-aware, charismatic performance as a philosophical version of himself is a highlight, and the ensemble of amateur actors brings authentic warmth. The cinematography is functional and naturalistic but unremarkable by design. The plot meanders in places before a memorably crowd-pleasing, anarchic finale that leans into comic absurdism. Novelty is the film's standout quality — its peculiar premise executed with genuine conviction makes it one-of-a-kind.