Bread & Roses [VHS] [2001]

Bread and Roses is a "Hollywood" movie with a difference, filmed in and around corporate LA but homing in on the lives of the ignored army of grotesquely underpaid, often illegal immigrants who give the area its sheen. At times, the semi-documentary footage of meetings and demos slackens the dramatic pace and it's interesting that the film's strongest scene is when the sceptical Rosa cuts through her sister's pro-union spiel with a devastating speech about the realities of her own life (she had to work as a prostitute). While this an imperfect movie, its political point hits home hard. Brody as Sam in particular brings a streak of fun to the movie.

On the DVD: Scene selection, language options and the original trailer are included but the best bonus is a 50-minute documentary about the making of the film, focussing on the life of one of the extras, Rosa, herself a janitors' rights campaigner. While not centre stage in the film, Rosa brings a great energy and authenticity to the set. She refers to Roach affectionately as a "little old man", dreams of shoving a vacuum hose up her bosses' asses and is flown home to El Salvador to give her estranged grandchildren trainers and a telling off. Excellent.--David Stubbs