Kitchen sink
realism has been a staple of filmmaking for Ken Loach’s impressive career as a
director, most notably with the coming-of-age film, Kes. That realism has been
carried over into his latest dramedy, Angels’
Share. What starts as a somewhat lighthearted drama about the struggles
working-class life in the United
Kingdom
The film’s
protagonist is a former thug named Robbie (Paul Brannigan), who is attempting a
life without crime due to the pregnancy of his girlfriend. Preparing to be a
father leaves Robbie with a new outlook on life, though that does little to get
rid of the trouble which has already wormed its way into his life. With the
help of a kindly supervisor while doing his community service, Robbie becomes
interested in the world of whiskey tasting. Along with three fellow social
miscreants, Mo, Albert and Rhino, Robbie learns as much as he can about the
distilling of whiskey.
During this process they discover a
lost cask of legendary Malt Mill whiskey thought to be nearly priceless.
Utilizing the skills that they have developed after years of bad behavior,
Robbie and his crew of screw-ups set out to steal some of the beloved whiskey.
Although he returns to the life of crime, Robbie’s outlook and reasons for
doing it have changed. This isn’t a film of black-and-white morality,
especially with a protagonist prone to indulging in his bad temper, but there
is a bit of stark truth buried within the comedy of Loach’s film.
The DVD special features include a
few deleted scenes and a trailer.
Entertainment Value:
8/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 8/10
Historical
Significance: 7.5/10
Disc Features: 5/10
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