2002 / Ken Loach > Winner of Best Screenplay at Cannes in 2002, Sweet Sixteen is short on style and all about substance. Set in the town of Grenock, Scotland, it primarily follows the path of Liam, a 15-year old played impeccably by local Martin Compston, as he tries to put together a future for his mum and sister.

Liam’s character development is the strongest aspect, and it’s easy to find ourselves anxious and cheering for him as he matures into a man. His psychological awareness and inadequacies are key, as there’s always something flaky in his understanding of his relationship with his mum. This represents an Achilles’ heal of an otherwise incredible teenager and is the motivation behind much of Liam’s actions. It is a study, in the end, of what kind of will love gives and takes away.
One thing that definitely stands out is Loach’s choice of music: Often contemporary and poppy, it gives the film—as well as the viewer—a foundation of exhuberant hope even in the bleakest of scenarios.