Ken Loach and screenwriter Paul Laverty join forces again for another great movie. A down on his luck pub owner (the eponymous old oak) befriends a Syrian refugee family who have moved into the street, much to the chagrin of some of the locals. Whilst there is an undercurrent of racism, Loach's latest (I do hope not his last) is fundamentally about community, friendship and hope. The ending might be a bit saccharine and perhaps unrealistic for some more hardened viewers, but for me the film earns its sentimentality. Whilst not in the same league as his two Palm D'or winning masterpieces (TWTSTB and I,DB) it is nonetheless a welcome return to form for Loach following his strangely unmoving last outing, Sorry I Missed You. The world will be a lesser place without Ken Loach movies. The greatest director of all time in my view. 8 out of ten.
Review of The Old Oak
