Review of The Angels' Share (2012) by Stuart K — 19 Jun 2012

Directed by Ken Loach, who in recent years seems to have mellowed out and made lighter films like Ae Fond Kiss... (2004) and Looking For Eric (2009), although they are still grounded in gritty realism.

This is one of those films, but it's one that could have come from Bill Forsyth. and despite some hard, gritty moments, it's a hopeful, witty comedy-drama. In Glasgow, young offender Robbie (Paul Brannigan), who after committing a nasty assault while high on drugs, is sentenced to 300 hours of community payback, and he finds himself taken under the wing of community officer Harry (John Henshaw).

Robbie's girlfriend Leonie (Siobhan Reilly) has just given birth to a baby boy called Luke, and Robbie vows that Luke will have a proper upbringing with no violence. On a day trip to a distillery, it's discovered that Robbie has a good nose for whisky, and on another trip to a tasting in Edinburgh, Robbie and his friends Rhino (William Ruane), Albert (Gary Maitland) and Mo (Jasmine Riggins) hatch a plan to steal an extremely rare whisky that's going for auction up in the highlands, they see this as an opportunity to get out of their sordid lives.

It's a very good film with a very good heart, and it shows that people can change their lives for the better if they put their minds to it. Despite using non-actors and a few seasoned pro's like Henshaw and Roger Allam, Loach is able to get some great performances out of them.