Ratcatcher

Synopsis: Glasgow, summer, 1973. Dustmen are striking; bags of garbage add to the blight of council flats and a fetid canal. Ryan, who's about 12, drowns during a play fight with his neighbor, the jug-eared James. James runs home, a flat where he lives with his often-drunk da, his ma, and sisters, who live in hope of moving to newly-built council flats. The slice-of-life, coming-of-age story follows James as he tags along with the older lads; has a friendship with his quirky wee rodent-loving neighbor, Kenny; spends time with Margaret Anne, myopic, slightly older, the local sexual punching bag; and, has a moment or two of joy. The strike may end, but is there any way out for James?
Genre: Drama
Director(s): Lynne Ramsay
Production: G2 Films
  12 wins & 6 nominations.
 
IMDB:
7.5
Metacritic:
76
Rotten Tomatoes:
84%
NOT RATED
Year:
1999
94 min
1,058 Views


For God's sake,

look at the state of my curtain.

Look at you.

If I've told you once,

I've told you umpteen times.

Keep your trousers

tucked in your boots.

Ryan Quinn!

Are you listening to me?

Come here.

- Ma, can I go out and play?

- You can go out after.

Ma, leave it. I'll do it.

I look like a spaz

with them tucked in.

You won't say that when you trip

and fall on your backside.

I look stupid.

You keep 'em tucked in.

Is your foot in?

- Yes.

I'll do it myself.

Ma, can I go out and play?

- No, you can't.

- Ma, where are you going?

Ma, can I go out and play, please?

You're going to see your dad.

Don't you want to see your dad?

James, what are you up to?

What are you doing?

You f***ing bastard!

Did you sh*t yourself?

I got you one there, huh?

I think this is what I'm looking for.

- Hi, how you doing?

- Fine. How are you?

- Just going to Susan's.

- Say hello for me.

See you later.

I thought it was you.

To the little man.

Get the f*** away from there!

Hey, beat it!

This is me.

You're not going to let me

walk up here by myself.

Look, why don't you come up

to my place for a little coffee?

George, what you need

is a good woman to look after you.

George!

Where have you been?

Go back to sleep.

Watch where you're going!

A little mouse!

Don't be touching it, darling.

No, no, no. Give me your hand.

Don't, please.

You can't touch it. It's vermin.

- It's just a little mouse.

Well, these conditions

speak for themselves.

You can't possibly deny

that there is a very considerable

health risk under which

many of the good people

of Glasgow are at present living.

There's a risk in the form

of decomposition of this material,

a risk of fire,

a risk of it being spread by rats,

which are notorious vectors

of disease.

Remember Pete Connelly? He waited

months before he heard anything.

You've told me already.

Well, they ended up

with a great house, didn't they?

They were going to throw

this stuff out at work.

What's that for?

It's brand-new.

Hasn't even been opened.

What color is it?

It's a kind of pastel shade.

You've got to be joking.

It's gray!

- It's pale blue.

- Your ass it is.

Look at it in the light.

It's pale blue.

Definitely.

- You're not putting that up in here.

- Why not? It's good-quality paint.

- It's bloody horrible!

Look, give this place

a couple of coats,

cheer it up a little bit,

it's going to look beautiful.

What's the point?

We're moving.

Yeah, maybe.

There's tea in the pot

if you want some.

All right, I'm off.

It's good-quality paint.

James, don't you go near that canal.

Do you hear me?

What are you staring at,

you little pervert?

- That's my ma's.

- So? What's it got to do with you?

Do you want a photo?

- Of you?

Stop making a mess of that table.

Shut up.

Hey, gorgeous!

Where are you going?

Don't you have a pal or something?

Where are you going?

Nowhere.

Make yourself useful.

Get me a can of beer from the fridge.

What?

Go on, do what I tell you.

Move.

Yes! You beauty!

Go on, son!

Beautiful, Celtic, beautiful!

I'm telling my dad on you.

My head!

- Big girls don't cry.

Go away.

- You gonna tell my da?

- Yes, I'm telling.

And I'll tell him

you drank his beer as well.

Anne Marie, shut up!

Okay, I won't tell.

- So you're not gonna tell my da?

- No, I won't tell.

Where's my beer?

Dad?

Where were you?

You gonna watch football?

It's an old firm game.

- I don't like football.

- I like football, Dad. Can I watch it?

You come over here

and watch it with me.

I've got it. Over here!

Where's the little mouse?

Remember that little mouse

you put down the toilet?

The little mouse.

It's gone out to sea, darling.

The seaside?

Yes. It went for a swim.

Da, James hurt me.

He drank your beer as well.

Did he now?

I'll see to that later.

Now let me watch.

Go on, son. Jump for it!

- You killed my mouse, Dad.

Yes, yes!

Goal! Attack!

Give them back, you bastard.

- Say pretty please.

- Pretty please.

- Pretty please with a cherry on top.

- Pretty please with a cherry on top.

What will you give me

if I give you them?

- Anything.

- No. F*** off.

- The stupid cow can't see a thing.

- Have you lost your panties as well?

Just give me them back.

See you later, darling.

You bastard!

F***ing cow.

- A**hole!

- F***in' b*tch!

Can you see my glasses in there?

Can you?

- No.

- Are you sure?

- Yes.

- Come and sit over here.

- What?

- Sit here.

- What's your name?

- James.

- You want a drag?

- No.

I'll kill that bastard Matt Monroe.

That canal gives me the creeps.

Did you know that boy

who drowned down here?

Ryan Quinn?

You wanna touch it?

See you later, James.

- It's heavy.

- Help me get it on.

Don't tilt it too much.

Have you got it?

- Yes. Hurry up.

Hold on a minute.

Okay, push it in. Lift it up.

What did you let go for?

- It's your fault.

- What are you talking about?

- It's all your fault!

You want to calm down?

What's the matter with you?

You killed my boy.

What are you f***ing talking about?

That was my boy as well.

I loved him just as much as you,

and you know it.

You killed him.

You weren't there!

Come on, get a grip on yourself.

Please.

Get away from me, you bastard.

I hate you!

Get away!

I can't deal with you anymore.

Every time I come near you, we argue.

He left us.

He left my boy.

I couldn't watch him myself.

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Lynne Ramsay

Lynne Ramsay (born 5 December 1969) is a Scottish film director, writer, producer, and cinematographer best known for the feature films Ratcatcher, Morvern Callar, We Need to Talk About Kevin and You Were Never Really Here. Her films are marked by a fascination with children and young people and the recurring themes of grief, guilt and death and its aftermath. They are low on dialogue and explicit story exposition, and instead use images, vivid details, music and sound design to create their worlds. In April 2013 she was selected as a member of the main competition jury at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival. In 2015, she was named as a member of the jury for the main competition at the 2015 Venice Film Festival. more…

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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