Angie gets the sack from a recruitment agency for bad behaviour in public. Seizing the chance, she teams up with her flatmate, Rose, to run a similar business from their kitchen. With ...
See full summary »
Of course Captain America: Civil War is on our radar this month. See other movies and TV shows we're excited about in IMDb Picks.
Related News
User Lists
Related lists from IMDb users
Connect with IMDb
Share this Rating
Title: It's a Free World... (2007)
Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.
4 wins & 7 nominations.
See more awards »
Photos
Add Image
Add an image
Do you have any images for this title?
Learn more
People who liked this also liked...
The Navigators
(2001)
Comedy
|
Drama
Director:
Ken Loach
Stars:
Dean Andrews,
Thomas Craig,
Joe Duttine
Looking for Eric
(2009)
Comedy
|
Drama
|
Fantasy
Director:
Ken Loach
Stars:
Steve Evets,
Eric Cantona,
Stephanie Bishop
Route Irish
(2010)
Action
|
Drama
|
Thriller
Director:
Ken Loach
Stars:
Mark Womack,
Andrea Lowe,
John Bishop
Mein Name ist Joe
(1998)
Drama
|
Romance
Director:
Ken Loach
Stars:
Peter Mullan,
Louise Goodall,
Gary Lewis
Ae Fond Kiss...
(2004)
Drama
|
Romance
Director:
Ken Loach
Stars:
Atta Yaqub,
Eva Birthistle,
Ahmad Riaz
Bread and Roses
(2000)
Drama
Director:
Ken Loach
Stars:
Pilar Padilla,
Adrien Brody,
Elpidia Carrillo
Ladybird Ladybird
(1994)
Drama
Director:
Ken Loach
Stars:
Crissy Rock,
Vladimir Vega,
Sandie Lavelle
Crime
|
Drama
Director:
Ken Loach
Stars:
Martin Compston,
Michelle Coulter,
Annmarie Fulton
Tickets
(2005)
Comedy
|
Drama
Directors:
Abbas Kiarostami,
Ken Loach, and 1 more credit »
Stars:
Carlo Delle Piane,
Valeria Bruni Tedeschi,
Silvana De Santis
Carla's Song
(1996)
Drama
|
Romance
|
War
Director:
Ken Loach
Stars:
Robert Carlyle,
Oyanka Cabezas,
Scott Glenn
The Spirit of '45
(2013)
Documentary
|
History
Director:
Ken Loach
Stars:
Winston Churchill,
Tony Benn,
Clement Attlee
Land and Freedom
(1995)
Drama
|
War
Director:
Ken Loach
Stars:
Ian Hart,
Rosana Pastor,
Icíar Bollaín
Edit
Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Kierston Wareing | ... |
Angela
|
|
 |
Juliet Ellis | ... |
Rose
|
|
|
Leslaw Zurek | ... |
Karol
|
|
|
Joe Siffleet | ... |
Jamie
|
|
|
Colin Coughlin | ... |
Geoff
|
|
|
Maggie Russell | ... |
Cathy
(as Maggie Hussey)
|
|
|
Raymond Mearns | ... |
Andy
|
|
|
Davoud Rastgou | ... |
Mahmoud
|
|
|
Mahin Aminnia | ... |
Mahin, Mahmoud's Wife
|
|
|
Shadeh Kavousian | ... |
Shadeh, daughter of Mahmoud and Mahin
|
|
|
Sheeva Kavousian | ... |
Sheeva, daughter of Mahmoud and Mahin
|
| Frank Gilhooley | ... |
Derek
|
|
|
|
David Doyle | ... |
Tony
|
| Eddie Webber | ... |
Company Director
|
|
| Johnny Palmiero | ... |
Company Director
|
|
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Add Synopsis
See All (6) »
Storyline
Angie gets the sack from a recruitment agency for bad behaviour in public. Seizing the chance, she teams up with her flatmate, Rose, to run a similar business from their kitchen. With immigrants desperate to work the opportunities are considerable, particularly for two girls so in tune with these times. Written by anonymous
Plot Keywords:
immigrant | punctuation in title | ellipsis in title | apostrophe in title | exploitation |Genres:
DramaCertificate:
See all certifications »Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents »
Edit
See more »
See full technical specs »
Details
Release Date:
29 February 2008 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
It's a Free World See more »Box Office
Budget:
$6,000,000 (estimated)Company Credits
Show detailed
company contact information
on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Dolby DigitalColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1
Edit
First of all, I think this film quite rightly got the plug it deserved on all of the Broadsheets in the UK. This might be partly due to the involvement of Ken Loach himself but also because it is a rather poignant essay of the one crucial aspect of globalisation – the richer countries exploiting the availability of the cheap labour available from the poorer countries.
This is not the first of its kind to be done, but this film had sympathy, warmth, objectivity and class and a viable plot. The whole film, however, is carried by Kierston Wareing, with no real development of other characters such as her business partner or even her dad, who both could have highlighted the different shades of the argument and perhaps externalised some of the conflicts that we all face when we encounter the by-products of such exploitation. By this, I mean the cheap strawberries in the supermarkets, casual builders, the "baristas" working behind the various Coffee chains and basically all of the other unsung victims who go to subsidising every aspect of our material life.
The basic kernel of the film does succeed to some extent in showing the different facets of the human character such as sympathy for the individual versus the indifference to the abstracted group; highlighting the similarities in the trials and tribulations of people in both the 'host' and the 'donor' countries; the fact that a lot of people are up for making a quick buck off the suffering of others; and that people exist who will try and be fair to others regardless of their backgrounds.
However, the reality might not be so clear cut and easily digestible. Perhaps not all of the immigrant workers are so docile and placid; perhaps not all immigrant workers are so subservient and accepting when the roles are reversed and the female becomes the sexual predator; perhaps not all immigrant workers insist on "passing on the favour instead of returning it".
While it is a noble effort and some effort has been made to highlight the plight of such immigrants, it is still just a snapshot of a much more knotty problem – a problem that we are all, to some extent, responsible for.
That said, "Bravo" to the fantastic Mr. Loach for agreeing to get his "hands dirty" with such a current and contentious subject.