My Name is Joe

Back from his brief tour of the world's Spanish-speaking nations, which produced both the glorious Land and Freedom and the didactic, sluggish Carla's Song, director Ken Loach returns to the more intimate pictures for which he's so justly celebrated, depicting in riveting detail the aggressively picayune lives of the U.K.'s downtrodden. The title is the first half of the phrase that generally concludes with "and I'm an alcoholic," and Peter Mullan's energetic, intensely charismatic performance in the title role animates what is really a pretty familiar story: that of a decent guy who deliberately jeopardizes his security in order to bail out a weak-willed friend. Loach excels at low-key observation, and when nothing much is happening, dramatically--when Joe's just rounding up the lads for a soccer match, tentatively wooing a flustered social worker, or just attempting to hang wallpaper--My Name Is Joe is a triumph of naturalism, funny and totally absorbing. When Loach finally does try to crank up the tension, though, it's autopilot time, with the film's idiosyncratic virtues lost in fairly predictable plot mechanics. Still, a welcome return to form overall, and definitely recommended. (M. D'Angelo)