Renowned British director Ken Loach’s signature traits are present in The Old Oak: simple, humanistic, and unapologetically hopeful. But this time, we see things unfold through the eyes of Turner’s TJ and Ebla Mari’s Yara, whose endearing friendship anchors the film. They prove that seemingly conflicting things can coexist, like workers’ and immigrants’ rights, local and newcomer needs, old and new ideals. Loach hones in on his characters’ rich and specific lives so that his message doesn’t come across like an advocacy poster, but a richly woven tapestry filled with beautiful and complex meanings. Because it tackles heavy themes, The Old Oak might sound like it’d be heavy to watch, but as in most of the director’s work, you’ll no sooner be uplifted by an outpouring of hope and love.
"With The Old Oak, Ken Loach goes out with one last, full-throated call for brotherhood and solidarity. It’s the most hopeful the old soldier’s been in years."
— Bilge Ebiri
"Although a lot of the film feels like a breathless box-ticking exercise designed to Include Every Pertinent Fact, the chemistry between Turner and Mari leads to a relationship rarely seen in cinema."
— Sophie Monks Kaufman
A pub landlord in a previously thriving mining community struggles to hold onto his pub. Meanwhile, tensions rise in the town when Syrian refugees are placed in the empty houses in the community.
Tensions rise when Syrian refugees arrive in a Northeastern English town already struggling to get back on its feet. Still, pub owner TJ Ballantyne (Dave Turner) and local activists try their best to bridge the gap between the disgruntled locals and fearful newcomers.
I’m still hoping Loach has it in him to create one more film - he’s needed more than ever!
It’s not the British director’s best, but it’s a fittingly heartbreaking swan song.
Cannes
1 nomination
BAFTA
1 nomination
