The Selfish Giant is in line with the purest British tradition of social cinema à la Ken Loach, relying on classical, overused yet still striking, themes such as poverty, unemployment and the social link.
But while the tireless Englishman manages to create a story around those themes and to (relatively) renew himself, Clio Barnard's approach remains very primary. The plot lacks grip and stakes, we've seen the situations a million times before, the characters can't be more typical and ultimately the scenario doesn't offer anything that hasn't been tackled, often in a better way, in other productions. Basically, every characteristic of the genre is excessively emphasized which sometimes gives the impression to be watching a parody.
However, the story still does the trick because it is sincere and the good direction coupled with good acting make The Selfish Giant an above average movie yet too banal to really stand out in a saturated genre.
But while the tireless Englishman manages to create a story around those themes and to (relatively) renew himself, Clio Barnard's approach remains very primary. The plot lacks grip and stakes, we've seen the situations a million times before, the characters can't be more typical and ultimately the scenario doesn't offer anything that hasn't been tackled, often in a better way, in other productions. Basically, every characteristic of the genre is excessively emphasized which sometimes gives the impression to be watching a parody.
However, the story still does the trick because it is sincere and the good direction coupled with good acting make The Selfish Giant an above average movie yet too banal to really stand out in a saturated genre.