THE PLOT THUS FAR
Narrowly avoiding jail, new dad Robbie vows to turn over a new leaf. A visit to a whisky distillery inspires him and his mates to seek a way out of their hopeless lives.
WHAT WE THOUGHT
“Angels’ Share” displays Ken Loach’s by now usual mix of naturalistic realism with everyday settings and improbable plotting with attendant unlikely coincidence along the way. The film starts with a couple of violent scenes to fully convey the tough environment from which the protagonists are seeking a way out but changes into a different film altogether when the four decamp to the Highlands to carry out their ingenious theft.
That dichotomy in retrospect seems a little forced at times and the coincidental nature of the plotting which affords them their once-in-a-lifetime opportunity stretches credulity as it settles into almost Ealing-esque territory but it’s carried off with some flair and conviction with a nice human touch at the end to send everyone home out of the cinema with a “feel-good” smile on their faces. The dialogue is fantastic, the conversations in this film seem so real and the colloquialisms provide so much humour for Scottish audiences. There have been few Scottish films lately that seem like a real Scottish film. The film also discusses a lot of other important issues i.e. alcoholism, drug abuse, poverty, violence and gang culture. It paints a picture of some people’s lives in Glasgow.
The DVD comes with deleted scenes and a trailer as the special features. The Dolby 5.1 track sets a stage, but it doesn’t have anything to show off. I’m not sure of that was the purpose of it, but it works. Plus, the transfer isn’t too bad for standard definition. In the end, I’d recommend a purchase.
RELEASE DATE: 12/10/2013