Black Jack

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joe m Gritty yet surprisingly enchanting and endearing tale of lives that cross paths in 1750's Yorkshire. Well worth a watch. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Ken Loach's regular use of non-actors really works for him here as it helps create a more authentic feel for mid 18th-century Yorkshire (although the fact that this is a seldom seen era in film helps too). The story itself is a little dull in terms of the story but the cast put in a good effort in terms of character. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review Audience Member After making Kes (1969), Ken Loach had struggled to get funding to make feature films, often resorting to doing TV plays and documentaries for the BBC and ITV, but he found funding for this adaptation of Leon Garfield's 1968 children's novel. It's a bit of a departure for Loach, a historical family adventure, but it still has his realist touches all over it, and it's an engaging and underrated film. In Yorkshire in 1750, French thief Black Jack (Jean Franval) is seemingly hung before a huge crowd of people in York, but he survived the hanging with a flute in his throat, and young apprentice Tolly (Stephen Hirst) ends up tagging along with him. They make money at first by leaving obstructions for coaches, and getting a reward for moving the obstructions. But, on one coach they meet disturbed young girl Belle Carter (Louise Cooper) who has been sent away by her parents (William Moore and Doreen Mantle), because they're unable to look after her anymore. Black Jack and Tolly come up with a plan to blackmail the parents, otherwise they'll tell the authorities what's happened. It's a good adventure, and Loach gets the best from his mostly unknown cast, despite a narration by Brian Glover and some cameos from who would become the Time Bandits. But it was a last shout from Loach before his near downfall in the 1980's. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/05/23 Full Review Audience Member Après une longue absence au cinà (C)ma due à un sà (C)jour à la tà (C)là (C)vision anglaise, Ken Loach revient avec un film historique qui ne marquera pas les esprits et qui reprend beaucoup du thème de "Family life" sur la psychiatrie et ses remèdes relevant plus de la croyance populaire que de la mà (C)decine. Si "Family life" avait à (C)tà (C) un puissant pamphlet contre les mà (C)thodes psychiatriques traditionnelles et archaiques des annà (C)es 70 en Angleterre, le fait de situer ce film au XVIIIème siècle associà (C) à l'idyle amoureuse des deux adolescents en fait un film beaucoup plus à (C)ducorà (C) et que l'on peut même considà (C)rà (C) comme grand public. Reste une aventure plutôt sympatique qui se laisse regarder comme un bon divertissement, mais bien loin de l'image plutôt engagà (C) du rà (C)alisateur. Peut-être est-ce le prix à payer à l'à (C)poque pour pouvoir revenir au grand à (C)cran. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/31/23 Full Review Audience Member ken loach directs a sometimes amusing tale, showing life in the 1700s in a small village, but done in a naturalistic way, with moments of ordinery going ons and a story that does run throughout, loach like other directors like shane meadows have used this form of acting throughout there careeers and it adds a lot always, Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/20/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Black Jack

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