Sweet Sixteen (2002)

Director Ken Loach returns to his native Scotland for the ironically titled drama Sweet Sixteen. In an inspired casting decision, the part of Liam is played by Greenock native Martin Compston, a regular kid who has never acted before. Compston gives Liam enough charm and wit to be convincing as the 15-year-old drug-ring operator, while also maintaining a naïveté that gets to the heart of the story. What drives the confused adolescent is his hopeful yet totally unrealistic perspective on his family situation; he just happens to possess the slick skills of an entrepreneur to actually do something about it. As the gawky misfit Pinball, William Ruane is a good foil to the determined Liam, as well as a constant reminder of the awkwardness of youth. The other supporting performances help to make the award-winning screenplay sound amazingly naturalistic with both humor and brutality. The Scottish dialect is so accurately captured, in fact, that even most English-speaking audiences require subtitles to decipher the constant slang and profanities. The somber coastal town setting also captures the mood of a crumbling town with few chances of escape. Even though the story is inherently bleak, it's not without the occasional ray of hope. What sets Sweet Sixteen apart from other cinematic forms of teen realism is that it never resorts to sensationalizing the kids or the subject matter. Underneath all the swearing, violence, and criminal intent, Liam is still just a boy. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide