The Angels’ Share (Ken Loach 2012): UK | FRANCE | BELGIUM | ITALY

Reviewed by Cia. Viewed at the AFI Fest 2012

 Winner of  Jury Prize Cannes 2012

Screenplay by Paul Laverty Producer- Rebecca O’Brien Cast- Paul Brannigan as Robbie, John Henshaw as Harry, Gary Maitland as Albert, Jasmin Riggins as Mo, William Ruane as Rhino, Roger Allam as Thaddeus, David Goodall as Dobie, Siobhan Reilly as Leonie, Roderick Cowie as Anthony, Scott Kyle as Clancy, Alison McGinnes as Anthony’s Mother, Ford Kiernan as Train Station Announcer Cinematography by Robbie Ryan Editing by Jonathan Morris Music by George Fenton Studio- Sixteen Films, Why Not Productions, Wild Bunch. Filmed in Glasgow & Edinburgh.

The Angels’ Share is a comic heist set in Scotland directed by Ken Loach and written by his long time collaborator Paul Laverty. The creative partnerships have produced 9 films together.

We are introduced to a group of young people as they plead guilty in Glascow’s City Court House. One by one we see them committing their crimes of comical petty nature, including defacing public statues. Robbie (Paul Brannigan) on the other hand, has a history of violence and hard drug addiction. He stands before the judge yet again while his lawyer argues that he has recently become clean and sworn to change since he is about to become a father, and jail would just send him back to his old ways. The judge finally agrees and gives him 300 hours of community payback (service) along with the rest of the young hoodlums. The premise is similar to the BBC’s TV show Misfits without the superpower/science fiction angle. And here they have crusty, compassionate Harry (John Henshaw) supervising them as they repaint a community center and clean off grave stones.

The narrative is generally straightforward, flashing back once to the violent crime in which Robbie attacks an innocent young man. The attack is narrated in a voice over by the victim, after which we cut to him and his family in a room where they all confront Robbie. The victim is blind in one eye, has brain damage and his mother screams at Robbie for almost killing her son. We watch Robbie listen. The moment is powerful as the good guy/ bad guy movie element is stripped away and we are forced to look at these human beings in their devastating situation. We now know the violent harm Robbie has caused from his earlier days of drug use. While we’ve been rooting for Robbie, we are shown it’s not as simple as good guy being chased by bad guys. This explains why every time Robbie walks down the street, he is chased by the boy’s family with wild fierce intention to beat him to death. One can’t blame them.

Robbie’s determination to change and be a good father is being tested on all sides when the father of pregnant girlfriend Leoni (Siobhan Reilly) tries to pay him off to split forever. But his compassionate supervisor Harry takes Robbie under his wing and encourages him to stay and take care of his baby. We find ourselves wanting to give Robbie a second chance as well. When the baby is born, Harry breaks out a fine bottle of whiskey that he has been saving for a special occasion. Robbie soon discovers he has a “nose.”

The main cast are the group of hoodlums who go on an unauthorized field trip to a whiskey distillery with Harry. They are hysterically funny, believable in their gritty street ways and crazy loveable as they follow Robby’s plan to heist some very special rare expensive whiskey as a way out of their dead end lives. William Ruane who plays Rhino got his start with Loach in the 2002 film Sweet Sixteen.

Gary Maitland who plays Albert, Jasmin Riggins who plays Mo and Paul Brannigan as Robby are all non-professional actors brought in by Loach. Loach and Laverty actually found Brannigan working in a Glasgow community center. Just like Robbie, he had spent time in prison but was also a new father and wanted to change his life. And just like Robbie, Brannigan has been given the chance of a lifetime.  The combination of the non-professionals life experience and the way Loach is known for working beautifully with actors produces brilliant performances by all.

Loach shot The Angels’ Share in Glasgow and Edinburgh creating a realistic world of city life and country landscape where they travel the rolling hills to find a special whiskey distillery. The editing supports the strength in the simple straightforward storytelling.  Rockin’ music is placed comically, accompanying the attempts at triumph.

Urgency matched by it’s humor and compassion with a special moment in the end when the title, The Angels’ Share comes full circle and warms your blood – somewhat like a shot of fine whiskey might, I imagine.

Born n England, (the same county as Shakespeare) Loach began directing in theater but early in his career moved into television. Cathy Come Home (1966) is a docudrama examining homelessness, unemployment and the social service system. He continues to make films with his naturalistic directing style about the working class in which his socialist beliefs are the subject of his films. In the 70’s and 80’s his films were met with difficulty like many British directors when politicians began controlling television and Thatcher gained conservative momentum. Still, Loach has made over 30 television projects and 28 films, he is best known for his film The Wind That Shakes The Barley which won the Palme d’Or at Cannes Film Festival in 2006. Loach continues to be one of the most important and influential filmmakers of our time.