Riff Raff

Stars: Emer McCourt, Robert Carlyle, Ricky Tomlinson. The first English film I've ever seen which is subtitled (a necessity for American audiences, since the British accents are thick and the slang flies fast and furious), Riff Raff is a knee-slappingly funny comedy about class conflict in Margaret Thatcher's England. Set mainly at a construction site and nearby tenement where squatters live, the film focuses on Stevie (Robert Carlyle), a day laborer, and Susan (Emer McCourt), an aspiring singer. Trying to make a go of it on meager wages, the couple are endearing as they plan their dreams for the future (according to Stevie, the big money lies in boxer shorts). Although Susan sometimes gets into funks, Stevie is an optimist ("depressions are for the middle class"). Stevie doesn't complain at work, but his fellow laborers--a riotously funny bunch--are constantly grumbling (with good reason) about the unsafe and all-around-shoddy working conditions. But whenever they take their complaints to the boss, somebody gets the "big E" (elbow). Later on in the film, Stevie is called away to attend a family funeral, which sets the stage for one of the most morbidly funny scenes of the year, involving an urn filled with ashes. Backed by a quirky soundtrack by former drummer for The Police, Stewart Copeland, Riff Raff is an enjoyably earthy comedy with serious overtones. And it features a shockingly subversive ending that will make you either cheer or send a chill up your spine depending on which side of the tracks you're from. Audience: Chance-taking video watchers will be amply rewarded by this working class comedy.