CountZero313 Illegal Mexican immigrant Maya (Pilar Padilla) arrives at her big sister's house looking to work with her as an office cleaner. She dodges potential abduction and rape on her hazardous quest to make a better life for herself. However, union organiser Sam (Adrien Brody) convinces her that betterment lies not in slaving for below minimum wage, but in joining his Justice for Janitors campaign.Watching Bread and Roses I realised that, for many years, my wish to support Ken Loach and Paul Laverty has over-ruled my actual dislike for their films. Bread and Roses references an inspiring story, but the actual relaying of it cinematically by Loach, and in narrative terms by Laverty, is flat and under-realized. The rhythm of the scenes is stuttering, like poor improv or early rehearsals. Sam shows up at big sister Rosa's house, and immediately launches into a pro-union speech like he has known these people for a while. The cleaning company boss is a pantomime villain. There is some kind of spurious romance triangle that never really develops, and a few so-called comedy scenes to ease the intended sense of tragedy, except the whole thing is so uninvolving that it hardly matters.As much as Laverty cannot characterise beyond two-note archetypes, Loach appears unable to manage shot flow. The camera seems merely plonked down in front of the actors - there is not one frame where the composition seems planned, never mind memorable.Kes is a masterpiece. But since then, I have sat through Riff Raff, Land and Freedom, Sweet Sixteen, My Name is Joe, Carla's Song, Ae Fond Kiss... and come away underwhelmed each and every time. The themes are oh-so earnest, the politics very correct, the focus on the under-represented, marginalised and disenfranchised laudable in the extreme. It just never seems cinematic. Does Loach ask himself "Why is this topic better as a fiction feature than a documentary?" If he does, I cannot imagine what the answer is.My father was a car factory shop steward, so I grew up with these issues in my living room. I come from a Glasgow working-class background, so I am empathetic to many of Laverty's chosen arenas. But the bottom line is, I just don't find myself entertained or edified by any of these films. Watching Bread and Roses, I didn't laugh, and I didn't cry. And it was clearly going after both reactions.Loach does get some great performances at times (e.g. Peter Mullen in My Name is Joe), and here Pilar Padilla as the lead, and Elpidia Carrillo as her long-suffering elder sister Rosa, bring a touch of authentic rawness to the subject. But in a key revelatory scene between the two, the camera is placed at an in-between distance, the cutting arbitrary, and the words seem scripted rather than spontaneous.Loach and Laverty now have a substantial body of work to their collaboration. Quite simply, I do not understand why.

tvelasco-2 I just recently watched the latest attempt from Hollywood to ease their minds about Latino issues. "Walkout" is an HBO movie that takes a historic moment in the struggle for equality and makes an "after school" special out of it. On the other hand "Bread & Roses" delivers in every front, a good story with candid acting and a solid structure. The back drop is similar. Minorities confronted with discrimination and racism must come together to force change. A basic rule of good writing calls for a story of universal value and this one resonates beyond it's outline, because the story of the immigrant in this country is everybody's story. "Bread & Roses" doesn't preach and it doesn't dumb down the intricate subtext of the story, most of all it takes the characters seriously and never uses them as just background to carry on. HBO must remember that it takes more than a Latino surname in the credits to make a Latino story resonate. "Bread & Roses" relays on the elements that are true to good film making without having to label it. Always respect your story.

Jackiebryan80 I am a member of United Food & Commercial Workers. The first time I saw this movie was August 23, 2004 at a youth conference. This is one of the best union movies I have seen. I was in Montreal this summer at a convention and we all sang the song as well. The movie is very moving and gives a very powerful perspective on what happens at some strikes and also what happens when workers find out you are trying to organize the workplace. Organizing is when you try and get the workplace unionized. As a female, I am truly amazed at the fight these women put up with to become unionized. I personally have been touched by Bread & Roses and I know many fellow union members who have been as well.

elpenguin1 The idea was good; the injustice of the plight of illegal Mexican workers is well- felt (especially from the p.o.v. of a woman, for once). However, there are various scenes in the movie where "corny" is the only adjective I would use to describe the intensity and feeling. In a sense, by watching Bread and Roses, we understand what "role" each character is supposed to "play" in the layout of the story. George Lopez's character (Perez) is the "dick" boss; his non-stop cursing and unnecessary shouting at old ladies gives him away-- unbelievable, un- authentic. The first meeting the Angel workers hold is reminiscent of something the Bayside crew would have done on Saved By the Bell-- again, the viewer knows what's supposed to be going on.. but it's of the utmost cheese. Thirdly, Sam's argument with his boss is again another "typified" scene.. In fact, the only truly believable scene is Rosa's breakdown during which Maya's "Yo no sabìa"'s are felt loud and clear. Just because this movie treats a "taboo" subject, it raises no questions; it conjures no thought-- why not get into Perez's character a little, and get into his role as a recent immigrant? How about the smugglers? How about Maya's (and other workers') status as, "illegal" aliens in the first place-- can they demonstrate against a corporation when they themselves don't pay taxes to contribute to the making of laws, etc. that are supposed to protect them? The husband's diabetes? Who pays for the "health care" that these workers desperately deserve? TAXED workers do, that's who! None of these questions were raised.. this film is mediocre, at best.