Ratcatcher

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This is the greatest anything ever. I just saw it. It made me cry in several places. "[Ratcatcher] is a freight train of affectations that clicks with me on the most amplified levels......" Just talk about the film or other things which click with you in such way.

― david h(0wie), Wednesday, 24 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I wuv it too.

― Graham, Wednesday, 24 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

It's excellent -- and the cinematography is so precise and efficient to be frightening. For such a bleak film it is surprisingly haunting.

― clive, Wednesday, 24 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Anyone reading this thread who hasn't seen "Ratcatcher" should definitely rent it or go out and buy a copy. It's incredible.

I've just read that Lynne Ramsay's next film (due this year) is called "Morvern Callar" and stars the beautiful Samantha Morton. Apparently it's based on a novel by Alan Warner. Here's the plot:

When her writer boyfriend commits suicide, an impoverished supermarket clerk in a small Scotland port town, Morvern Callar (Morton), covers it up, steals his unpublished novel, sells it as her own, and takes off for the easy life of a rave clubber in Ibiza, Spain.

Sounds good...

― D, Wednesday, 24 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

So here's the thing -- when I first saw the title I just thought of some weird medieval comedy a la Terry Gilliam involving the town drudge who indeed captures rodents to make a living. So I'm assuming that's not the case? Or is there emotional depth to Baldrick after all?

― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 24 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Ratcatcher is one of the strangest films I have ever seen. The first half did not connect at all, seemed gritty social realism by numbers, slow and wholly uninvolving with a cliched plot. Then there was thje brief fantasy sequence with the mice and when we got back into the main plot (and the Dad was partially humanized) I absolutely adored it. Not only that but it made the first half all make sense and beautiful in reflection. Very, very brave opening too. Really looking forward to Morvern Callar (Morton is ace).

― Pete, Thursday, 25 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Something about the plot description of this new movie makes me think of Shirley Valentine, though. Is that a good thing? Anyway, approval of Ratcatcher noted.

― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 25 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I didn't like Morvern Callar the book, but Archel did I think. Or maybe it was someone else off sinister. YES it was. She was from Oxford and I only met her once. Pamela, that was it. What a lovely girl she was. I ended up apologising for being rude about Morvern Callar.

The film's being premiered at the Edinburgh Film Festival. I wonder if I can get a ticket.

― N., Thursday, 25 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Gritty social realism by numbers

*stunned* Those are very insightful, well observed numbers.

― ^david_h(owie), Thursday, 25 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

six months pass...

I saw this on Saturday and I still can't stop thinking about it. Anyone who hasn't already, please see this.

― mark p (Mark P), Monday, 27 January 2003 16:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Woah! Way to go last minute reminder. There's a one-off showing at the GFT in an hour's time. Must run.

― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 27 January 2003 16:56 (twenty-two years ago)

But help! I only had three hours sleep last night and I am v.drowsy. Do Pro Plus work? Earlier a cup of coffee sent me to sleep.

― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 27 January 2003 17:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Careful, despite it being lovely, you could well fall asleep in the first half hour.

Were you up all night watching Superbowl?

― Pete (Pete), Monday, 27 January 2003 17:03 (twenty-two years ago)

I love that darn Superbowl.

― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 27 January 2003 17:04 (twenty-two years ago)

I have it at home on video, haven't watched it yet, but I must say I was seriously underwhelmed by Movern Callern. However, my other video pick, Ipcress File, which starts off with Michael Caine grinding his own coffee beans and then making coffee in a French press, was a definite hit.

― Mary (Mary), Monday, 27 January 2003 17:15 (twenty-two years ago)

Err yeah.. one of the best films I have ever seen.

― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 27 January 2003 20:23 (twenty-two years ago)

one year passes...

why don't you love ratcatcher?

― cºzen (Cozen), Monday, 23 August 2004 12:17 (twenty-one years ago)

I sodding do!

― Alba (Alba), Monday, 23 August 2004 12:27 (twenty-one years ago)

I am looking at a winsome picture of Lynne Ramsay right now. I can email it to you if you like, N.

― Markelby (Mark C), Monday, 23 August 2004 12:28 (twenty-one years ago)

Did it have subtitles in the UK?

― TOMBOT, Monday, 23 August 2004 12:30 (twenty-one years ago)

No Tom.

― Markelby (Mark C), Monday, 23 August 2004 12:30 (twenty-one years ago)

Has there ever been an English language film from America that's been subtitled over here? How common is it in reverse?

― Alba (Alba), Monday, 23 August 2004 12:32 (twenty-one years ago)

I can't think of one.

I know that the (foreign) girls (speaking in english) were subtitled for the USA's 'the next joe millionairre'.

― cºzen (Cozen), Monday, 23 August 2004 12:35 (twenty-one years ago)

When we saw it in California it had subtitles. I am not making this up.

― TOMBOT, Monday, 23 August 2004 13:29 (twenty-one years ago)

That's just LAAAAAME. (waves at the TOMBOT)

Mark, if you have occasion to say yo from me to LR, please do! Best. Interviewee. Ever.

― suzy (suzy), Monday, 23 August 2004 13:58 (twenty-one years ago)

I believe you, Tom. Didn't they do it with Trainspotting too? And Eastenders? Or was that just a published glossary?

― Alba (Alba), Monday, 23 August 2004 14:00 (twenty-one years ago)

No, Trainspotting when I saw it had no such silliness. I dunno about Eastenders, but I imagine they would have had a glossary for that since they had one for Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.

― TOMBOT, Monday, 23 August 2004 14:03 (twenty-one years ago)

I saw a piece in the Tate Modern called something like Britain Seen From the North that was basically a map of Britain made of old toys on the wall. All I could think was RATCATCHER RATCATCHER RATCATCHER.

Yeah, it was subtitled here, too. Trainspotting wasn't.

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Monday, 23 August 2004 14:03 (twenty-one years ago)

My Name is Joe (the Ken Loach film) had subtitles in the US.

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 23 August 2004 14:11 (twenty-one years ago)

So basically, it's anything from Glasgow?

― Alba (Alba), Monday, 23 August 2004 14:12 (twenty-one years ago)

Eastenders isn't subtitled on BBC America. Not here at least. The only other British thing I've seen subtitled here is an Oasis interview on MTV.

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Monday, 23 August 2004 14:18 (twenty-one years ago)

Alba: yes!

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 23 August 2004 14:20 (twenty-one years ago)

Liamnoel famously subtitled on MTV! Too fookin' right!

― suzy (suzy), Monday, 23 August 2004 14:23 (twenty-one years ago)

I got the feeing that it was less "we can't understand them because they're not Americans" than "we can't understand them because they're too fucking trolleyed to open their mouths."

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Monday, 23 August 2004 14:26 (twenty-one years ago)

sorry, I'll be less enigmatic, I watched this film today and was struck by a number of things, none less than I think it is a masterpiece.

― cºzen (Cozen), Monday, 23 August 2004 18:41 (twenty-one years ago)

why is it lame to have subtitles on a film for whom the dialogue might be incomprehensible to its distributor's intended audience? a bunch of ken loach films have subtitles here in the states, and a good thing too.

― amateur!!st, Monday, 23 August 2004 18:43 (twenty-one years ago)

hey amateurist what d'you think about 'ratcatcher'?

― cºzen (Cozen), Monday, 23 August 2004 18:47 (twenty-one years ago)

i've rented it twice and still haven't seen it.

― amateur!!st, Monday, 23 August 2004 18:47 (twenty-one years ago)

spoilers. it's strange that even though I have watched the film 6 times and the murder james commits he quite callously ignores I almost always forget, by 2/3rds into the movie, that he is a murderer. there is the scene, the only glint of anger and destruction, where he pummels the bin bags, killing a rat. this is, I think, as are other things, a testament to ramsay's dreamy eye & forgiveness. she's somehow managed to film one of the most destitute periods of glaswegian history (gangs, rubbish strike, poverty &c.) and inure it with a romantic gleam. there are obvious refs. to roeg's 'don't look now' (haha 'refs.' more like 'lifts') (the long pan shot, post-murder, along the banks of the water; the editing on the slashing scene). I've so much to say about this film.

― cºzen (Cozen), Monday, 23 August 2004 18:56 (twenty-one years ago)

he is a murderer? i must have totally blocked this out of my memory and its still not coming back.

what about that spacemouse?

― jed_ (jed), Monday, 23 August 2004 19:02 (twenty-one years ago)

he is a murderer? i must have totally blocked this out of my memory and its still not coming back. exactly!!!

haha yeah the space mouse I'm still not sure about, I like how it rhymes with the scene in the field (they both have the 'badlands' theme played over them), but tht level of magic realism maybe jars with the rest. the scene leading up to it is wonderful, the kid who plays kenny deserves ten oscars.

― cºzen (Cozen), Monday, 23 August 2004 19:04 (twenty-one years ago)

i forget what he's done, too, usually quicker than 2/3rds in i think. in morvern callar, i manage to quickly forget that morvern dismembers and disposes of her dead boyfriend.

― lauren (laurenp), Monday, 23 August 2004 19:29 (twenty-one years ago)

PS WHEN SOMEONE HAS THE DECENCY TO SAY "SPOILER" IN THEIR POST, PLEASE AVOID REPEATING THE STUFF THEY GIVE AWAY IN YOUR REPLY, THX

― Markelby (Mark C), Monday, 23 August 2004 20:14 (twenty-one years ago)

SPOILER

i forget what he's done, too, usually quicker than 2/3rds in i think. in morvern callar, i manage to quickly forget that morvern dismembers and disposes of her dead boyfriend.
-- lauren (warmleatherett...), August 23rd, 2004.

well they kind of portray this elliptically. not so's you wouldn't know if had happened, but so's you wouldn't think too hard about the moral implications.

― amateur!!st, Monday, 23 August 2004 20:18 (twenty-one years ago)

I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS A SPOILER

It's OK - no one remembers that he's a murderer anyway.

― Alba (Alba), Monday, 23 August 2004 20:19 (twenty-one years ago)

spoiler. what does it mean?

― cºzen (Cozen), Monday, 23 August 2004 20:22 (twenty-one years ago)

if i have put anyone off from running out and renting morvern callar (or ratcatcher), i sincerely apologize. please, don't let me stop you. it really won't affect your viewing of the film.

― lauren (laurenp), Monday, 23 August 2004 21:07 (twenty-one years ago)

morvern callar was so so disappointing. in fact, I dislike alan warner quite strongly but, I think the book may be better.

― cºzen (Cozen), Monday, 23 August 2004 21:16 (twenty-one years ago)

i'm in too good a mood (due in large part to trashy foreign sweets) to argue with you, but let it be noted that i disagree.

― lauren (laurenp), Monday, 23 August 2004 21:19 (twenty-one years ago)

I loved Morvern Callar, but Ratcatcher left me cold. I'll have to give it another shot.

― miloauckerman (miloauckerman), Monday, 23 August 2004 21:19 (twenty-one years ago)

Skipping 54 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

Pinefox, what do you think about the films of Alan Clarke?

― Adam In Real Life (nordicskilla), Friday, 19 August 2005 21:02 (twenty years ago)

i adore this movie.

― mark p (Mark P), Friday, 19 August 2005 21:04 (twenty years ago)

I havenae seen them.

I remember the goals of Wayne Clarke! (1987-1988)

― the pinefox, Friday, 19 August 2005 21:05 (twenty years ago)

fwiw, lynne ramsey has just been signed to a prominent prodco as a commercials director.

― mark p (Mark P), Friday, 19 August 2005 21:13 (twenty years ago)

PF is right of course abt the stylisation of the film vis-a-vis the stylisation of life but I think he's wrong about their relative qualities

― cozen (Cozen), Friday, 19 August 2005 21:14 (twenty years ago)

superpitcher, "the long way" (dir: lynne ramsey, 2004)

― cozen (Cozen), Friday, 19 August 2005 21:14 (twenty years ago)

pinefox i don't find RC pretentious at all. if it's stylised it is so in a way that i like. i find it like my childhood, or rather like my childhood as i remember it which i suppose is a distinct thing from strict "realism". i find most of the characters and scenes in the film have close analogues to scenes from my own childhood. i'll say more at some point but i'm quite drunk now.

xposts

― jed_ (jed), Friday, 19 August 2005 21:16 (twenty years ago)

Morvern Callar was pretentious. Ratcatcher not so much, or not so insiduously.

― Adam In Real Life (nordicskilla), Friday, 19 August 2005 21:17 (twenty years ago)

I like Small Faces. Is that what Glasgow is like?

― Adam In Real Life (nordicskilla), Friday, 19 August 2005 21:18 (twenty years ago)

haha I liked it when N. called me a 'wee kid', I hope he still thinks of me this way

so much on this thread I didn't remember, a lot of good "spoiler" based jokes and me foolishly stating that I have "so much to say about this film" while then going on to say little to nothing insightful

it's a great film nonetheless and I'm due to watch it again soon

with a girl

― cozen (Cozen), Friday, 19 August 2005 21:20 (twenty years ago)

haha small faces! you!

― cozen (Cozen), Friday, 19 August 2005 21:20 (twenty years ago)

I agree with colin too about ratcatcher's relation to my childhood and its scenes I've stored away

― cozen (Cozen), Friday, 19 August 2005 21:22 (twenty years ago)

It was I, really, who called you a wee kid

It is good and amusing of you to spot and admit that point re. having lots to say and then turning out not to

Morvern Callar, the film: crikey, I had forgotten this - it makes my point a hundredfold; I am so sorry that it was so dire

― the pinefox, Friday, 19 August 2005 22:02 (twenty years ago)

it WAS

― Adam In Real Life (nordicskilla), Friday, 19 August 2005 22:10 (twenty years ago)

Despite the awfulness of LR's films, this thread is actually good. In a strong field, the winner of best post is the one with the picture of MOUSE HUNT. Fantastic.

― the bellefox, Friday, 19 August 2005 22:11 (twenty years ago)

Morvern Callar, the film: crikey, I had forgotten this - it makes my point a hundredfold; I am so sorry that it was so dire

it has good things in it.

― jed_ (jed), Friday, 19 August 2005 22:16 (twenty years ago)

like Lee Hazlewood.

and...

...

― Adam In Real Life (nordicskilla), Friday, 19 August 2005 22:17 (twenty years ago)

That wasn't a good thing!

― the bellefox, Friday, 19 August 2005 22:18 (twenty years ago)

We'll agree to disagree.

― Adam In Real Life (nordicskilla), Friday, 19 August 2005 22:19 (twenty years ago)

the scene at the end where she's raving and some really slow track is playing on the soundtrack. that's good.

― jed_ (jed), Friday, 19 August 2005 22:33 (twenty years ago)

also very good acting from the red haired girl.

― jed_ (jed), Friday, 19 August 2005 22:34 (twenty years ago)

I'd like to see this movie, again

― RJG (RJG), Friday, 19 August 2005 23:02 (twenty years ago)

I loved Morvern Callar. The house-party scene is amazing, probably my favorite scene/sequence of the decade.

― milozauckerman (miloaukerman), Friday, 19 August 2005 23:24 (twenty years ago)

oh no!

― Adam In Real Life (nordicskilla), Saturday, 20 August 2005 00:10 (twenty years ago)

I adored Ratcatcher -- except the syrup scene/dad getting mugged while holding the kitty, I've got an issue with that. Morvern Callar I was very disappointed by but I think it might be because the material was so weak. I haven't heard anything good about the book it was based on.

― Ian Riese-Moraine: a casualty of social estrangement. (Eastern Mantra), Saturday, 20 August 2005 20:41 (twenty years ago)

Then here is something: the first half at least of the book it was based on is terrific.

― the bellefox, Saturday, 20 August 2005 22:05 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, but you don't like Ratcatcher.

― Ian Riese-Moraine: a casualty of social estrangement. (Eastern Mantra), Saturday, 20 August 2005 22:09 (twenty years ago)

I don't like Lynne Ramsay's short films much either. I DO like Ratcatcher but having setting your indie film debut "in the private world of children" has started to become short-hand for...something?

see George Washington, You Me And Everyone We Know, tec.

― Adam In Real Life (nordicskilla), Saturday, 20 August 2005 22:12 (twenty years ago)

You know, very odd: she was attached to "Lovely Bones," which would have made a nice mainstream bid. But then she wasn't and suddenly Peter Jackson (of all people) was. Now, who knows?

― Josh in Chicago (Josh in Chicago), Saturday, 20 August 2005 22:35 (twenty years ago)

I thought Gus Van Sant was doing Lovely Bones!

― Adam In Real Life (nordicskilla), Saturday, 20 August 2005 22:39 (twenty years ago)

Oops, no I meant Time Traveller's Wife.

― Adam In Real Life (nordicskilla), Saturday, 20 August 2005 22:40 (twenty years ago)

four months pass...

All the Morven Callar bashing on this thread makes me sad. It's the better film, imho. Well, no, actually. Not the better film...Though I do prefer it. More like, starting from the same basic ingredients (a death), they each move in totally opposite directions...before coming back again. They play off one another so well...Watch them back to back!

This was more insightful in my head.

Why do you dislike it? Is the Morton factor?

― steviespitfire (steviespitfire), Thursday, 5 January 2006 13:50 (nineteen years ago)

i like the ratcatcher, i have never seen the morven collar although i own it.

― jeffrey (johnson), Thursday, 5 January 2006 21:33 (nineteen years ago)

callar.

― jeffrey (johnson), Thursday, 5 January 2006 21:34 (nineteen years ago)

morvern callar makes me feel completely immersed. i have never been able to describe it as anything other than ambient, though that doesn't actually work. i find it vastly superior to ratcatcher, though i like that a lot too. it would have been interesting to see what lynne ramsay would have done with _the lovely bones_, but tbh, i'm kinda glad she got dropped as the book seemed kinda blah (only read the first 20 or so pages in a bookstore).

― firstworldman (firstworldman), Thursday, 5 January 2006 21:41 (nineteen years ago)

I found Ratcatcher so devastating I haven't gone back for a second look in five years. I liked MC but felt it kinda trailed off...

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 5 January 2006 21:48 (nineteen years ago)

"Morven Callar as the first micro-house film: discuss."

― steviespitfire (steviespitfire), Thursday, 5 January 2006 22:20 (nineteen years ago)

I mean, there is a sort of pulse moving through it, and yet this pulse is itself fragmented, drops out, comes back...the expected, the inevitable (tragedy) and the (little) unexpected (moments) are closely intertwined...

Listen to the first Isolee, or something, and watch it.

― steviespitfire (steviespitfire), Thursday, 5 January 2006 22:31 (nineteen years ago)

ramsay actually made it with the idea that people would start the first track of farben's textstar as soon as morvern first steps into the bathtub

― firstworldman (firstworldman), Thursday, 5 January 2006 22:47 (nineteen years ago)

and you should totally get high before you do it

― firstworldman (firstworldman), Thursday, 5 January 2006 22:48 (nineteen years ago)

You mean, like, off the ground?

― steviespitfire (steviespitfire), Thursday, 5 January 2006 22:58 (nineteen years ago)

no, just like, watch it in denver or something

― firstworldman (firstworldman), Thursday, 5 January 2006 23:14 (nineteen years ago)

i love both of these movies

― s1ocki (slutsky), Thursday, 5 January 2006 23:51 (nineteen years ago)

they are both great. adam's dislike for movern callar is bewildering, he is seeing something in it that I don't see.

― kyle (akmonday), Friday, 6 January 2006 17:17 (nineteen years ago)

three years pass...

Is Ramsay still doing We Need To Talk About Kevin?

― Alba, Wednesday, 7 January 2009 17:05 (sixteen years ago)

We Need To Talk About Kelvin

― the pinefox, Wednesday, 7 January 2009 17:53 (sixteen years ago)

i actually met her six months or so ago and she said "...kevin" was almost ready to go. i'm sure she thought the same about "the lovely bones" too, though.

― jed_, Wednesday, 7 January 2009 18:01 (sixteen years ago)

I'm reliably informed she's casting in NYC this week.

― choomescent (suzy), Wednesday, 7 January 2009 18:12 (sixteen years ago)

one year passes...

I'm unfamiliar w/ this property, but Tilda Swinton and John C Reilly are in.

http://www.slashfilm.com/2010/01/28/casting-notes-john-c-reilly-in-lynne-ramsays-new-film-daniel-bruhl-and-paz-vega-in-castros-daughter/

Watched Ratcatcher for the first time in 9-10 years last night, nearly matched my memoreies.

― Rage, Resentment, Spleen (Dr Morbius), Monday, 1 February 2010 15:23 (fifteen years ago)

Sounds interesting. Been thinking about revisiting Ratcatcher lately.

― Trip Maker, Monday, 1 February 2010 15:30 (fifteen years ago)

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