The Old Oak

It is unmistakably a Loach film: taciturn yet forthright, examining life in the cracks of a fractured society with deep compassion, plain-spoken anger and, perhaps more so than in the previous two films, a shot of hope.

It’s a fable that ties up too neatly to be believed, and it’s a story I’m tired of hearing.

Like with all Ken Loach films, reality is at the center of it.

It’s a righteous oeuvre with marvelously strong roots.

A fine send-off for workhorse British director Ken Loach, this film is a sort of proudly unsexy piece of social realism portraiture whose delicate blend of poignancy and hopefulness mark it as a welcomely mature work for the remaining cineastes who care.

The parallels Loach makes are obvious, but that doesn’t make the film any less emotionally potent.

[It's] a reminder that when grief and loss don’t bring out the worst in people, they can bring out the best.

"If The Old Oak is, as Loach has been threatening, really Loach’s final film, it will be a strong summation of his work: a film about community and solidarity in places you wouldn’t expect from people who can barely care for themselves."

a fitting capper to Loach’s career...Turner is perfectly cast as the man with empathy...a savvily crafted protagonist whose listening gift as a bartender allows the audience an understanding of the less-than-welcoming locals.

The final signatures on Loach’s long petition for betterment are bold. Hope is not obscene. Hope is what will keep the heart of the United Kingdom beating. Shukran, comrade Loach. The Old Oak is an acorn seeding united growth.