Sorry We Missed You

  I heard about this film from listening to one of my favorite movie centered podcasts Breakfast All Day where they reviewed it. Searching for how to stream it, I learned this was another new release that I may have been able to see at my local art house or the AMC near me likes to show several small independents, however given we are still in the state of social distancing going to either one is of course not an option. But I learned the main art house in my area has joined a program call KinoNow where you can stream a movie and the art house actually gets a cut of the proceeds which lent me to absolutely pay to watch this film. In the review I listened to they said this is a movie that more or less is probably not the best thing to come out right now that it basically got the raw end of the release slate. I can absolutely see why that observation is accurate, the film takes place in the UK and follows a father of two as he starts delivering packages for a company very similar to say Amazon, where drivers are basically self employed franchisee operators. We see early on how he has to make a decision to use a company van basically paying for it daily or to purchase his own van, which he has to sell his wife’s car for the down payment and is the first of many decisions that are purely monetarily made for what could be the long term success of the family. His wife is a caregiver who used her car to go around to clients without a car she is forced to take public transportation which presents its own unique problems to her career situation. Mean while they have two children, one who is literally a school skipping, graffiti delinquent and the other wanting attention of her parents, trying to harness the family environment. We see this family that relies on this what is referred to as a gig economy how they struggle day to day to maintain a family lifestyle and the struggles of paycheck to paycheck lifestyle which is sadly how many and even now with the way social distancing guidelines have forced more to enter this kind of lifestyle. While I am not familiar with any of the cast in this, it works better for me than having someone I would recognize because it adds to the realistic look at this lively hood that Ken Loach is wanting to bring to the audience. If I took anything from watching this movie it is that when I can actually return to my day job its not to be a complete arse and treat my associates like people, having some empathy that relationships can often times outlast the pay. This will be a hard watch to get through for many at this unknowing term of events that has happened world wide, more so if you are currently working in this gig economy, though I think the message I took from this of don’t let work ruin your life is important, that what you may think is best for yourself and others, may actually be hurting more than helping. C.