Hundreds of janitors and supporters marched from the Sony lot to Amazon Studios on Thursday to support striking Hollywood writers and protest alleged layoffs at major entertainment companies during the ongoing work stoppage.
According to the Seiu United Service Workers West union, which organized the demonstration with the Writers Guild of America, about 50 janitors have been laid off since the work stoppage began May 2, while others have seen their hours cut. The cuts have occurred across all major studios, according to the union, though it name-checks Paramount and Radford Studio Center in particular. (The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to Radford Studio Center and Paramount for comment.)
“We don’t know how far it’s going to go. But we felt it was important to let them [the studios] know that we’re not going to be divided, that working people have to stand together,” Seiu-usww president David Huerta tells THR.
The...
According to the Seiu United Service Workers West union, which organized the demonstration with the Writers Guild of America, about 50 janitors have been laid off since the work stoppage began May 2, while others have seen their hours cut. The cuts have occurred across all major studios, according to the union, though it name-checks Paramount and Radford Studio Center in particular. (The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to Radford Studio Center and Paramount for comment.)
“We don’t know how far it’s going to go. But we felt it was important to let them [the studios] know that we’re not going to be divided, that working people have to stand together,” Seiu-usww president David Huerta tells THR.
The...
- 6/15/2023
- by Katie Kilkenny
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
While "Bread and Roses" marks his first time filming on American soil, Cannes favorite Ken Loach ("My Name Is Joe", "Raining Stones") nevertheless finds himself right at home with subject matter that once again deals with the plight of the struggling working class.
Given that the group in question happens to be Los Angeles office cleaners who fight for unionization, the drama certainly has a ripped-from-the-headlines resonance for Angelenos who recently witnessed a protracted, disruptive janitors' strike played out in nightly newscasts.
Others should find the David vs. Goliath story equally involving and often moving despite some overly didactic passages, while screen newcomer Pilar Padilla makes a strong impression as the film's fiercely spirited lead.
Loach's film begins literally cutting to the chase as a group of illegal Mexican immigrants are being smuggled across the border by abusive "coyotes" who separate them from their children and loved ones until they pay their transport fees in full.
Among them is young, feisty Maya (Padilla) whose similarly strong-willed, naturalized sister Rosa (Elpidia Carrillo) gets her a job as a cleaner for Angel, a nonunion janitorial company assigned to a downtown office block.
Composed of mainly Latino immigrants, legal and otherwise, the cleaners work long hours for scant pay and zero benefits while also having to put up with constant threats from their intimidating supervisor, Perez (George Lopez).
Enter Sam Shapiro (Adrien Brody), an energetic activist with a healthy sense of mischief who ultimately manages to make the workers see the union light despite Perez and his various scare tactics.
Sam also ignites a little spark between himself and Maya, much to the displeasure of her admiring co-worker, Ruben (Alonso Chavez), who fears that any unnecessary boat-rocking will jeopardize his shot of getting a college grant.
But just in case the above scenario might suggest "Norma Reyes", it should be pointed out that Loach and screenwriter Paul Laverty, who also collaborated with the filmmaker on "Carla's Song", offer no pat, crowd-pleasing resolutions.
Instead they serve up the bittersweet slices of marginalized life for which Loach is famous. He's also known for casts that combine seasoned professionals with fresh acting talent and authentic nonpros with convincing results.
The major find here is Mexican theater actress Padilla, who effectively gives the picture its spunky soul.
Good, too, are lanky Brody as the wave-making labor crusader, Carrillo as Maya's sacrificing sister and stand-up comic Lopez as their bullying boss.
Behind the scenes, Loach and his frequent collaborators again eschew fancy footwork in favor of an organic, verite approach that keeps the camera at eye-level and the lighting natural, allowing the players to do their thing without having to worry about hitting their technical marks.
The result might not always be pretty, but it's seldom uneventful.
BREAD AND ROSES
A Parallax Pictures, Road Movies Filmproduktion and Tornasol/Alta Films production
Director: Ken Loach
Producer: Rebecca O'Brien
Executive producer: Ulrich Felsberg
Screenwriter: Paul Laverty
Director of photography:
Barry Ackroyd
Production designer: Martin Johnson
Editor: Jonathan Morris
Music: George Fenton
Cast:
Maya: Pilar Padilla
Sam: Adrien Brody
Rosa: Elpidia Carrillo
Perez: George Lopez
Ruben: Alonso Chavez
Running time -- 110 minutes...
Given that the group in question happens to be Los Angeles office cleaners who fight for unionization, the drama certainly has a ripped-from-the-headlines resonance for Angelenos who recently witnessed a protracted, disruptive janitors' strike played out in nightly newscasts.
Others should find the David vs. Goliath story equally involving and often moving despite some overly didactic passages, while screen newcomer Pilar Padilla makes a strong impression as the film's fiercely spirited lead.
Loach's film begins literally cutting to the chase as a group of illegal Mexican immigrants are being smuggled across the border by abusive "coyotes" who separate them from their children and loved ones until they pay their transport fees in full.
Among them is young, feisty Maya (Padilla) whose similarly strong-willed, naturalized sister Rosa (Elpidia Carrillo) gets her a job as a cleaner for Angel, a nonunion janitorial company assigned to a downtown office block.
Composed of mainly Latino immigrants, legal and otherwise, the cleaners work long hours for scant pay and zero benefits while also having to put up with constant threats from their intimidating supervisor, Perez (George Lopez).
Enter Sam Shapiro (Adrien Brody), an energetic activist with a healthy sense of mischief who ultimately manages to make the workers see the union light despite Perez and his various scare tactics.
Sam also ignites a little spark between himself and Maya, much to the displeasure of her admiring co-worker, Ruben (Alonso Chavez), who fears that any unnecessary boat-rocking will jeopardize his shot of getting a college grant.
But just in case the above scenario might suggest "Norma Reyes", it should be pointed out that Loach and screenwriter Paul Laverty, who also collaborated with the filmmaker on "Carla's Song", offer no pat, crowd-pleasing resolutions.
Instead they serve up the bittersweet slices of marginalized life for which Loach is famous. He's also known for casts that combine seasoned professionals with fresh acting talent and authentic nonpros with convincing results.
The major find here is Mexican theater actress Padilla, who effectively gives the picture its spunky soul.
Good, too, are lanky Brody as the wave-making labor crusader, Carrillo as Maya's sacrificing sister and stand-up comic Lopez as their bullying boss.
Behind the scenes, Loach and his frequent collaborators again eschew fancy footwork in favor of an organic, verite approach that keeps the camera at eye-level and the lighting natural, allowing the players to do their thing without having to worry about hitting their technical marks.
The result might not always be pretty, but it's seldom uneventful.
BREAD AND ROSES
A Parallax Pictures, Road Movies Filmproduktion and Tornasol/Alta Films production
Director: Ken Loach
Producer: Rebecca O'Brien
Executive producer: Ulrich Felsberg
Screenwriter: Paul Laverty
Director of photography:
Barry Ackroyd
Production designer: Martin Johnson
Editor: Jonathan Morris
Music: George Fenton
Cast:
Maya: Pilar Padilla
Sam: Adrien Brody
Rosa: Elpidia Carrillo
Perez: George Lopez
Ruben: Alonso Chavez
Running time -- 110 minutes...
- 5/12/2000
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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