Sweet Sixteen

Name: Sweet Sixteen
Genre: Drama, Crime
Released: May 16, 2003
Duration: 106 min
Rating: 86
Cast: Annmarie Fulton, Martin Compston, Michelle Coulter

2003

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Universal acclaim based on 25 Critic Reviews

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Universal acclaim based on 9 Ratings

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8.1	User Score Universal acclaim based on 9 Ratings

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Sweet Sixteen

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Movie Details & Credits

Lions Gate Films | Release Date: May 16, 2003 | R

Starring: Annmarie Fulton, Martin Compston, Michelle Coulter

Summary: Liam's Mom, Jean is in prison...but is due to be released in time for his 16th birthday. This time Liam is determined that things will be different. He dreams of a family life he's never had, which means creating a safe haven beyond the reach of wasters like Jean's boyfriend Stan and his own mean-spirited grandfather. (Lions Gate Films)

Director: Ken Loach

Genre(s): Drama, Crime

Rating: R

Runtime: 106 min

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Critic Reviews

100

Michael Wilmington

Loach is a super-realist, and Sweet Sixteen has the disarming feel of a documentary. It's a film that miraculously catches life on the fly, without apparent embellishment, cliche or melodrama. Read full review

Kenneth Turan

It's one of the most emotional and compelling the filmmaker has ever made. Confident, uncompromising and blisteringly realistic, Sweet Sixteen is a gritty and immediate film yet it goes right to the emotions. Read full review

Joe Morgenstern

The explosively combative young hero, Liam (a brilliant performance by Martin Compston), has only the illusion of a fighting chance. Yet Sweet Sixteen is powerful because of the searing honesty with which it strips Liam of his illusions.

James Berardinelli

It's an uncompromising movie that illustrates one of the most convincing personality transformations that I have seen in a recent motion picture. Read full review

Paula Nechak

A hard film to shake and makes us think and think again. Read full review

Ella Taylor

It's not a happy film, but there's much incidental, quotidian happiness in it. Like Lynne Ramsay's lovely "Ratcatcher," the movie is far from sentimental about children. Read full review

TV Guide Magazine Ken Fox

Dabbed with sentimental touches, the film nevertheless avoids facile victim psychologizing and pulls no punches. Read full review

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DawdlingPoet

Nov 24, 2021

This is a fairly typical Ken Loach social drama film, with the main character shown trying to improve his circumstances in time for his mums release from prison. Its somewhat predictable in terms of plot development but the characters are well performed and its quite gritty - it seemedThis is a fairly typical Ken Loach social drama film, with the main character shown trying to improve his circumstances in time for his mums release from prison. Its somewhat predictable in terms of plot development but the characters are well performed and its quite gritty - it seemed pretty realistic I suppose, from what little I know. If your a fan of the directors work then I'd say this is worth a watch, yes.… Expand

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