The Old Oak

Though The Old Oak is a less dramatic and more predictable social-commentary film than Loach’s previous effort, Sorry We Missed You, it is still personally and emotionally engaging. While focusing on a clash between British village culture and Syrian refugees, Loach also understands the conservatism of the older residents who have paid their dues as members of the working class. And he empathetically captures the culture and inner pain of the immigrants, who are by no means inferior or of less value than the British natives. However, the most powerful life story is that of the local pub landlord, a uniter of the two cultures who does not lack the local hot-headedness, understanding or willingness to help. Visually, Loach’s 100% character-focused directing is typically simple yet humanely sincere. [Cannes FF] (05/28/2023)

This film is proof that there is beauty in simplicity. When compared to the other films in the festival, The Old Oak probably delivers the most human story. No exaggerated plots, no WTF twists, no emotional wringing, no mindfucks, a popular tool nowadays where there is a lack of quality content. This is a story about ordinary people, about the clash of cultures, about the difficulties of fitting in, about embracing the unknown... The Old Oak is simple, minimalist and at the same time magnificent in the emotions it evokes. It's moving but perfectly balanced, it doesn't push the envelope... [Festival de Cannes 2023] (05/30/2023)

This will be hard. I'd have no problem recommending The Old Oak to anyone, but my cynical self prevents me from rating it better than slightly above average. Despite the fact that I agree with its basic idea, the problem is the tear-jerking. The film has a number of passages where I can't get past their naivety, and some of the major twists are also handled too haphazardly, such as the dog, saviour of the drowning. Everything then loses credibility from the point of view of the story, and it feels more like a melodrama with elements of a fairytale than today's world in the suburbs of Newcastle, Blackpool, Sunderland and generally all parts of Britain, where all sorts of things are spoken, but don’t expect too much English. The almost exemplarily authentic pub regulars in the film are a beautiful testament to this. (10/29/2023)