I love this movie so much

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

I went to the cinema on a bad day, a bad week actually. Ken Loach and Eric put a smile on my heart. Thank you guys. A beautiful film.

Recap: Life is just not easy, to put it mildly. Especially for Eric, a lowly paid postman, with to troublesome teenage kids and decades old guilty conscience after having run out on his fiancé that just had given birth to their child. And finally he just snaps. His friends wants to help, and buys a self help book. He is supposed to imagine someone he loves, and speak to him. And from that moment, Eric Cantona, Eric's idol, appears in his life, giving advice. And Eric needs advice, because things are worse at home than he ever thought.Comments: A rather fun and interesting premise, but one that not quite delivers. I had expected a little more of a comedy, but instead it is a pretty good drama. A story of how one can find oneself and recreate oneself in the midst of a crisis. Pretty good acting as well, but it lacks something. Something to make me wonder what would happen next, to make me want to stay engaged with the movie.Cantona himself had quite a limited role, and not one that put him on the spot really. But he handled himself quite well, and might be given the chance to appear in movies again, hopefully in more challenging roles.5/10

Looking for Eric is a blend of comedy, fantasy, philosophy, and social realism that breaks the record for the most "F" words ever used in a motion picture. If it wasn't supposed to be a feel-good comedy that asks you to suspend logic, I would also suggest a "P" word – preposterous. Directed by the team of Ken Loach and Paul Laverty that has brought us such serious dramas as Sweet Sixteen, The Wind that Shakes the Barley, and My Name is Joe, Looking for Eric is funny in parts, serious in others, full of both joy and sadness, a true chiaroscuro of life, yet trying to combine gritty social realism with an absurd comic fantasy does not always work.In the film's opening, Eric Bishop (Steve Evets) is a 50'ish postal worker living in a working class section of Manchester England with his two rebellious stepsons Ryan (Gerard Kearns) and Jess (Stepfan Gumbs). Close to a nervous breakdown, Eric manages to survive a car crash but comes home to a house in a total mess and has difficulty in coping with his stepsons who do not listen to him. His friends at work led by Meatballs (John Henshaw) try to cheer him up by telling him jokes but they barely produce a smile. The ever resourceful Meatballs brings all his friends and co-workers together to lead them in process in which they are asked to see themselves through the eyes of someone who really loves them. Done with a minimum of condescension, Loach handles the activity with respect and makes the proceedings plausible.When asked to pick the person they most want to take after, one chooses Nelson Mandela, another Gandhi. Eric chooses Eric Cantona, a French hero of the Manchester United soccer team of 1990. Continuing with the theme of self awareness, Cantona, playing himself, turns up in Eric's vision (presumably as a holographic image) to guide him toward developing a stronger self image. Eric asks Cantona to recall the moments on the football field that he most cherished and, with the postman's exuberant narration, the moments are replayed on screen to almost magical effect. Asked to describe the highlight of his career, instead of talking about a goal he scored, Cantona humbly mentions the time he passed off to a teammate who then scored.Meanwhile, as Cantona supplies the postman with enough proverbs to rival the Book of Solomon, his daughter Sam (Lucy-Jo Hudson) asks him to babysit for her small child while she finishes her education. This leads Eric to confront having to reunite with his ex-wife Lily (Stephanie Bishop) who he walked out on 25 years ago when she was pregnant. Feeling trapped, he turns to Cantona who reminds him that "We always have more choices than we think," After having been talked by his soccer hero through the guilt of abandoning his wife, Eric and Lily meet after many years and remember their most romantic moments when he wore blue suede shoes and they danced together.Unfortunately, Looking for Eric goes off track in the latter part of the film with a convoluted plot involving his stepson Ryan, local hoods, a gun planted in his house, police brutality, and all kinds of high energy mayhem that sends the film into sensory overload. While Loach and Laverty's message about how life works better when we are open and include the people that are closest to us in our problems is a good one, the film eventually becomes so absurd and heavy-handed that it threatens to destroy the charm it had built up earlier. Looking for Eric is an entertaining and heartwarming film that has moments of sheer delight but, as a whole, the ball never quite reaches the net.

I have been an fan of the films of Ken Loach since I saw 'Hidden Agenda' some years back. In the years since he first directed films for television,working up to his first feature film,'Poor Cow',up until recent,he has painted a portrait of the English blue collar working class,most times unvarnished (they live their day by day lives,drink, smoke,swear a lot,and are sometimes brutal,unflinchingly,but generally never demonize them). In this tale,a middle aged man,Eric Bishop,is at the lowest point of his existence. His ex wife wants next to nothing to do with him (he walked out on his marriage early on),and his two sons (one adopted)are a stranger to him. About all he has is his football chums that he spends most of his time in pubs,arguing football,etc. to call his own. One night after sneaking some of his son's Marijuana,Eric is sitting in his room in a depressed gloom,wondering what went wrong with his life,when he gets a visit from the kindred spirit of French born footballer,Eric Cantona (Eric's hero,as exemplified by the posters of Cantona in the bedroom),giving Eric advice on how to get his life back in check. Heeding Cantona's advice,Eric sets about to make amends for his short comings (including a sub plot element involving his eldest son Ryan,who is hanging out with gangsters who make Ryan hold onto a gun used in a shooting). Will Eric Bishop clean up his act,become the father he is supposed to be to his sons,and try to reconcile with his wife? That is for you,the audience to find out. Ken Loach (The Wind That Shakes The Barley,Hidden Agenda,and way too many to list here)directs from a screenplay written by Paul Laverty (who wrote the screenplay for 'Barley',as well as 'My Name Is Joe',also directed by Loach). Featuring Steve Evets as Eric Bishop,Eric Cantona as himself,Stephanie Bishop as his wife Lily,Gerald Kearns as Ryan,and Stefan Gumbs as Jess,Eric's other son. With Matthew McNulty,Laura Ainsworth,Max Beesley,Kelly Bowland & John Henshaw. A flawed,but crowd pleasing,life affirming comedy/drama about finding one's own niche later in life. Not rated by the MPAA,this film serves up pervasive strong language,adult content,including drug references & some harrowing confrontations for our protagonist.