Butler's Cinema Scene

Paul Brannigan

“THE ANGEL’S SHARE”  My rating: B+ (Opens April 26 at the Tivoli)

101 minutes | No MPAA rating            

The players rarely seem to be acting in Ken Loach films, usually because so many of them have never before been in a movie. But even when he casts old pros, the performances Loach gets are natural, unforced, and of an astonishingly high order.

Loach, now in his 70s and the dean of Britain’s left-leaning ashcan filmmakers, does it again in “The Angel’s Share,” a gentle comedy — with some very dramatic moments –about a bunch of kids from the Scottish underclass who become connoisseurs of fine whisky and then come up with a plan to steal some priceless century-old single malt.

We meet Robbie (Paul Brannigan, who in real life is a social worker) in a courtroom where he’s on trial for beating a fellow hooligan within an inch of his life. For reasons that not even he quite understands, Robbie gets 300 hours of community service instead of jail time. This is important since his girlfriend Leonie (Siobhan Reilly) is about to have his baby. Robbie makes a vow to stick to the straight and narrow and build a real life for his child.

But that’s not easy. During his days of carousing and coke-snorting Robbie has made many enemies who are still seeking revenge. Among them are Leonie’s uncles, who beat him senseless when he shows up at the hospital to see his new son. Moreover, his criminal record makes getting even a menial job impossible.

John Henshaw, Paul Brannigan

But there are good things in his life, as well. Like Harry (John Henshaw), the beefy captain of the community service team who takes Robbie and other young miscreants under his wing. Harry is, in fact, halfway to sainthood. He lets Robbie stay at his house and, just as important, introduces him to the wonders of fine whisky.

Turns out that this Glasgow kid has a tremendous palate. Before too long he’s impressing his fellows with flowery whisky-talk: “It’s got a maritime nose, with leather and polish, a big sweetness to start with, then tannic, drying…it’s certainly got some European oak in there…”

When a Scottish distillery discovers an overlooked cask of century-old spirits — it’s expected to bring 1 million pounds at auction — Robbie and his ragtag crew come up with an audacious plan. They’ll sneak into the place, siphon off three bottles of the precious stuff, and replace it with good but not great whiskey.  No one will be the wiser and they’ll make enough off the sale of the bottles to start their lives anew.

Three totally different movies blend seamlessly under Loach’s direction and through Paul Laverty’s screenplay.

First “The Angel’s Share” is about the plight of the working class. Or the class that would be working if there was any work to be had. Loach has a real affinity for folks trapped in economic dead ends, and while he doesn’t excuse the brutality that has ruled much of Robbie’s life, he understands where it comes from.  There’s a wonderful scene in which Robbie meets one of his victims, a young man now blind in one eye, and finds himself reduced to tears by what he’s done.

But the film is also a comedy, albeit a realistic, believable one. Much humor is generated by the other blokes on Harry’s work crew, especially the bald, bespectacled Albert (Gary Maitland), an oaf so spectacularly stupid that you almost end up admiring his total obtuseness. But here’s the thing… there’s no meanness in Loach’s humor. He sees all of us as molded by our environment. Some of us are fortunate enough to rise above it, others become its victim. Luck of the draw.

And finally this is a very effective heist film generating considerable suspense.

“Angel’s Share” — the title refers to the 2 percent of a cask’s contents that evaporate while the whisky is aging — gently but firmly holds all of these elements in balance. Heartbreak, humor and even a bit of action.

| Robert W. Butler