An unfortunate step into maudlin, obnoxious territory for political director Ken Loach, Bread and Roses mars any succinct point it is trying to make about the very real ignorance of the rights of cheap labor workers with a smug, audience-insulting veneer that proves embarrassing for the usually pointed and interesting filmmaker. The film desperately lacks the raw tension of Loach's other superior work, but what really sticks in the craw is the immature handling of such weighty material. Instead of evaluating the conflict from a measured, intelligent standpoint, the film immerses its viewers in side-taking and cheap shots at the rich in an attempt to get them on the side of its main characters, who end up coming off as irritating and undeserving of sympathy. Adrien Brody shows confidence in an utterly thankless role, but the rest of the cast flounders; unlike the supporting players in Loach's previous features, they have little knack for creating rich drama out of small situations. Not surprisingly, the film took some time to find a distributor after a lackluster reception at the Cannes Film Festival in 2000.