Reviews

Ken Loach's films have always tackled important topics, and have never shied away from the more unpleasant realities of modern Britain - poverty, unemployment, homelessness, and so on. As such, they have always been thought-provoking but rarely laugh a minute. With The Angels' Share, Loach has managed to press all of the cinematic buttons. While casting his usual unflinching eye on the UK's underbelly - in this case the plight of an unemployable group of young petty criminals serving sentences of Community Payback - he also manages to make us laugh, and moves us with a touching tale of redemption against all the odds. A fairytale? Of course. but we need fairy tales in these increasingly grim times. There are one or two weaknesses in the plot. I'm still not sure how a group of penniless deadbeats, who have stated that they couldn't possibly afford the formal clothes required for the planned scam, manage to come up with four kilts (kilts costing about ten times as much as a cheap suit from Tesco). And what kind of whisky tasting competition was it in Edinburgh when only one of the four contestants was allowed to answer the question? But these are minor quibbles in a film that is beautifully acted, includes some glorious Scottish scenery and some very funny lines. Let's hope this film gets the box office it deserves. This is not just one for the art houses, but for the multiplexes too.

BBC Scotland's comedy Unit has a pretty good track record - with Rab C Nesbitt its shining star - but rarely if ever has it come up with anything as original and subtle as this. The military setting is completely convincing as are all the characters. The officer figure is the only one to be caricatured; all of the others are exactly how one imagines a group of young, often bored, soldiers to be. The story lines are fanciful enough to allow for situations to develop which give full scope for Gary's sense of fun, and his one-liners are terrific. The plots break off from time to time - either for a supposed video clip of the lads fooling about off-duty in Iraq, or for one of Gary's philosophical monologues to camera. When we are accustomed to hearing only West of Scotland accents on Scottish comedy programmes, Gary's Edinburgh accent is a joy. What a pity not all of the cast could manage an east coast accent - Julie in particular leaves us wondering how and why she made the trip east. But that's a minor irritation. Gary Tank Commander is a joy to watch - let's hope we see him again.

Coming of age films set in middle-class environments can be illuminating, but throw into the mix a mother who became pregnant at 14, an unemployed resident uncle who is also a gambling addict, and a mysteriously handsome boyfriend, and you have the ingredients for an utterly convincing and riveting film which reveals more and more of the central character's situation as the film progresses. These revelations are drip fed at regular intervals, and lead to a dramatic closing scene. The small cast of actors is excellent, but perhaps it is the setting which gives this film such a hold on the audience. Basically, there are only two 'sets'. The first is the claustrophobic apartment, where a harassed mother attempts to maintain some sense of civilised living - like everyone sitting down at table for proper meals - but where pressures arise from the three residents living in too close proximity. The second is the bleak landscape of Antwerp's outer semi-industrial suburbs, where mysterious bits of machinery litter a bleak landscape of bare fields and anonymous tower blocks - a perfect setting for a young girl to live out adolescent fantasies. This is an excellent film - highly recommended.