DON'T BE misled by the film title Sweet Sixteen. The latest work by British director Ken Loach is neither a puppy love story nor a sweet tale about adolescents and their adorable families.
Quite the contrary, Sweet has a sobering effect, and audiences may find it depressing to watch a Scottish teenager driven to extreme measures in an attempt to better the lives of his family.
Loach is renowned for presenting social problems on screen. His earlier movie My Name Is Joe about a recovering alcoholic is solid proof of his skills. In Sweet, Loach again brings us a story full of humanity.
Written by Paul Laverty, the film, set in a poor suburb in Scotland, won the Best Screenplay award at last year's Cannes Film Festival.
The lead character, 15-year-old Liam, dreams of having a stable family life. His mother is in prison on drug charges, and his older sister has disowned her mother and moved away.
Loach explores these believable characters in realistic situations, and his film is by no means escapist.