At 87, Ken Loach presents what many believe to be his final film, a poignant addition to his illustrious career. Known for his powerful portrayals of poverty, human rights, and the struggles of blue-collar workers and refugees, Loach has championed social issues since his debut in 1967 with “Poor Cow.”
“The Old Oak” is co-written by Paul Laverty, who began collaborating with Loach with 1996’s “Carla’s Song.” It is the third film in a trilogy set in the northeast of England featuring working-class families facing economic hardship. Its up-to-the-minute commentary of immigrants fleeing their homelands for safety reasons is relatable to moviegoers worldwide affected by the global crisis. Living in Texas, Loach’s tale of Syrians looking for a better life in England feels close to home, with many focused on the state’s border crisis.
In a small pit village in northeastern England where mining has all but disappeared, the last remaining pub, The Old Oak, serves as a sanctuary for a handful of regulars who have remained after many of their neighbors have moved away. Work is scarce, and people are hungry, yet sometimes, all you can do is forget about your worries one pint at a time.
A very good Dave Turner plays the pub’s owner, TJ Ballantyne, a divorced man with an estranged son who finds comfort in his small dog, Marra. We learn later that the pooch came to him during his darkest hour in one of the film’s many poignant moments. Turner, a retired firefighter-turned-actor, appears in all 3 films of Loach’s northeast England trilogy.
Set in 2016, the story begins with a busload of Syrian refugees arriving in the small village where they are greeted with hostility from the locals, upset by the fact that they are Muslims. “Why didn’t you tell us these were coming?” asks one villager while others use racial slurs. The skirmish is captured by Yara (Ebla Mari), a refugee with a passion for photography. Her camera is broken in the process by one of the nasty locals (Neil Leiper), but TJ offers to help her get it fixed as they begin a mutual friendship based on respect and kindness.
Mari, a middle school drama teacher from Majdal Shams, is terrific in the film. Along with Turner, the actors are the heart of the moving drama. Loach’s realism in each film is partly credited to his ability to find regular people, not necessarily actors, to play these rich characters.
As TJ and Yara become friends, he notices she speaks very good English. “Where did you learn?” he asks. Yara explains that she lived in a camp for two years and volunteered to help the foreign nurses who taught her English. She adds, “Also, in the first month, I decided that I was going to learn twenty new words of English every day.” It paid off. She speaks better English than some of the locals.
As the story moves forward, TJ gets caught in the middle as the tension escalates between the pub owner and a handful of racist patrons who think TJ is choosing sides by showing kindness to Yara and the Syrians. BTW, most of the villagers are compassionate and accepting of Yara and the immigrants; it’s just a select few who remain vigilant as systemic racism rises to the surface.
TJ’s kindness is never fazed by his dissenting patrons; there are a few regulars on TJ’s side to keep the tension in check. Trevor Fox delivers a fine performance as Charlie, a member of the disgruntled few who went to school with TJ. Their friendship is tested by their differences of opinion, especially when TJ declines to let the racist men use the pub’s backroom to hold a meeting in support of driving out the Muslims. The tension escalates when TJ allows Yara and a local social worker named Laura (Claire Rodgerson) to use the backroom for a community meal to benefit the Syrians and the villagers experiencing financial hardship.
“The Old Oak” features first-rate performances by Dave Turner and Ebla Mari, plus gorgeous cinematography by Robbie Ryan. Ken Loach gives us another moving drama with rich characters that we can all relate to in one form or another. There are no false notes, as resolutions are earned, not forced. An inspirational film with a message of unity whose beautiful moments outweigh those of division.
(3 ½ stars)
Catch “The Oak Room” this weekend at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth as part of their ongoing film series. Screenings occur on Sunday, May 26, at 12, 2, and 4 PM. For tickets and information, go to https://www.themodern.org/film/old-oak
Republishing is free for noncommercial entities. Commercial entities are prohibited without a licensing agreement. Contact us for details.
