For peat's sake

The Angels' Share

Crit

Ken Loach's single-malt heist film--need I say more?

OK, a little: Robbie (Paul Brannigan) meets 3 equally improbably sweet and dumb-smart recidivists on community service (or, as the Scots charmingly and apparently uniquely call it, community payback), as well as a volunteer who recognizes the depth of Robbie's intention to turn his life around. His motivation is a girlfriend and a brand new son, though between Leonie's family's contempt (her cousins beat him and threaten him against coming near mother and child; her father offers him £5,000 to get out of her life) and the murderous intent of the son of his father's blood enemy, the deck would be stacked against him in the less forgiving universe of some of Loach's earlier films.

But like a 16-year-old Lagavullin, this is meant to warm your insides in a good way. I didn't ever believe it, but I enjoyed it.