Ken Loach looks at LA through the eyes of slave-waged immigrant
cleaners. Fomented by organiser Sam (Brody), they band together to
lobby for union representation. Salutary as it is to spotlight the
unglamorous 'Justice for Janitors' campaign, we never properly get to
see beyond loutish foreman Perez (Lopez) to the real exploiters – who
seem to capitulate remarkably easily – and thus a true sense of context
is lost. But it's a thoroughly affecting study of human dignity
insulted, at its strongest in portraying the relationship of Mexican
sisters Rosa (Carrillo) and Maya (the captivatingly vivacious Pilar
Padilla).
