The British director is very faithful to his social chronicles, without really renewing himself in his new film.
Ken Loach was in competition at Cannes for the fifteenth time this year, a record, at 87 years old, after winning two Palmes d’Or. But he disappoints somewhat with The Old Oak, our pub which hits screens Wednesday October 25.
The good and the bad
“The Old Oak” is the only pub in a small English town, and is now threatened with closure. When Syrian refugees arrive, its owner, TJ Ballantyne, becomes friends with a young immigrant, and he actively participates in a solidarity organization set up by locals to help them. This initiative will divide its usual customers with xenophobic inclinations.
After two Palmes d’Or – in 2006 for The wind picks upand in 2016 for Daniel Blake -, the British director remains true to himself in his denunciation of social inequalities in the United Kingdom, which he now extends to the xenophia of some of his fellow citizens. But The Old Oak, our pub presents a somewhat expected theme from the British director who draws on customary dramatic springs.
A little sun in the cold water
The Old Oak, our pub hardly surprising. Even if we find the Ken Loach committed and whom we love, loving civic-mindedness and compassion, he had accustomed us to less Manichaeism. However, there remains the sensitive daily image of a graying town, mired in social ostracism, where “foreigners” bring a little color and change. Too much for some.
These refugees shake up the daily life of the small town – and a conservative policy that ignores the most disadvantaged – going so far as to incite residents to rebel against conventions and the system. The Old Oak, our pub turns out to be the story of an awareness that leads to action. A customary note of hope from Ken Loach who, we hope, will not make The Old Oak, our pubthe swan song of an essential filmmaker.
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The sheet
Gender : Drama
Director: Ken Loach
Actors: Dave Turner, Ebla Mari, Trevor Fox
Country : Great Britain/France
Duration : 1h53
Exit : October 25, 2023
Distributer : (international) Why Not
Synopsis: TJ Ballantyne is the owner of the ‘Old Oak’, a pub which is under threat of closure after the arrival of Syrian refugees placed in the village without any notice. Soon, TJ meets a young Syrian girl, Yara, who has a camera. A friendship will be born between them…