The Angels' Share (2012)

Plenty to Like, Plenty to Dislike

Overrated and overhyped

The acting in this movie is really good.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

In all my life, I never imagined a film's highlight could be a song by the Proclaimers of all people, a band I hate.This film is the most boring, clichéd, unlikeable film I have ever seen. To begin with, the characters are all unpleasant, without exception. Only the main protagonist is more than one dimensional, but is a violent thug who has had a Damascene conversion because he becomes a father and completely unsympathetic. The rest of the characters are little more than circus clowns and rather poor ones at that. There is plenty of violence, swearing and Irn bru, but little in the way of plot, engaging characters or narrative arc.I can't believe this film was made and has made me revise my opinion of Ken Loach. Absolutely awful!

The Angels' Share (2012)A deceptively simple movie that builds slowly and is mixture of outrageous fun and touching social commentary.The main young man, Robbie (Paul Brannigan), has been convicted of a violent crime and is trying to get his life together. His girlfriend is about to have his baby, his old rival is out to get him, and he can't get a job. He also has to do community service, which leads him to the main plot—a growing love of whiskey, a gift with his nose, and an eventual plot to steal some of the rarest of the liquid.It's this last part that dominates the second half of the movie, and it's fun, for sure, but also a little contrived compared to the first half which has a gritty realism to it. Brannigan, and all his supporting actors, is really good. If you don't know Scottish movies, be prepared for some major swearing by everyone. And the Netflix version of the movie has the subtitles on because the accent makes a lot of the movie hard to hear. (I think you'd be better off without them, however, and just get most of it without the distraction of reading.)You might be able to read into the serious parts of the movie and see a valid commentary about the strength of community service, and about the rough life on the streets of Glasgow. But this is more the hard nails backdrop to make the clever, and rather fun (almost joyous) secondary plot shine brighter. It works. The movie pulls it together seamlessly (maybe a hair too seamlessly by the end, as you'll see). So, yes, an enjoyable surprise.

Angels' Share is a good movie about a group of individuals who did something wrong within society and then who were caught and were put to payback to society by means of community work and payback. It is a good movie about how a bond within a group can create a team and how a team can enable a group of individuals, or at least one of the individuals to transform himself and get himself out of trouble and on to the straight and narrow. This movie is about redemption in a sense of retribution and perhaps it is about the gaining of insight into a previous idea - an idea that was not working and hence needed to be curbed. Angels' Share does have a cool depth to it. Something very unique in this trace of film-making.

"The Angels' Share" is the first Scottish film I've seen and it's a good one.The film is adept with its tonal shifts. The transitions between lighthearted to dramatic are skillfully done.Paul Brannigan's acting as the young Robbie is very good and he plays the regretful thug who just needs a second chance exceedingly well. The friendship between Harry and Robbie is tangible, but not over done.Paul Laverty's script is very strong and often hilarious. The cast makes the most of it and the ending of the film is pretty much perfect. The only criticism is the use of an American stereotype towards the end, but it doesn't detract from the rest of the film.Overall, you can't go wrong with this film. You may not love it, but I think few would dislike it.