‘It’s the hope that causes so much pain…’
I’ve spent my whole life in pubs. There isn’t much else to do in Doncaster. I’ve worked in pubs. Lived in pubs. I met my wife in a pub. Most of my friends. People I would consider to be brothers. It’s curious that activist director Ken Loach has taken so long to make a film about a pub considering their status as a potential community hub. A good pub brings people together. It’s part of our culture. Our heritage. The Old Oak explores the value of the public house through the lens of immigration and poverty…
Traditional pub The Old Oak stands proud as a central part of a tight-knit Durham community. In the face of rising immigration, low wages and simmering tensions, beleaguered landlord TJ Ballantyne (Dave Turner) befriends Syrian refugee Yara (Ebla Mari) and the two of them attempt to use the pub’s back room to create a space for immigrants and locals to forge a relationship. They face opposition from the local men who feel isolated and forgotten.
Ken Loach will turn 88 in 2024 so it seems likely that The Old Oak will be his final film. If it is to be his swansong, he’s signing off with yet another working-class howl of anguish. As with other recent triumphs Sorry We Missed You and I, Daniel Blake, The Old Oak examines life in modern Britain in a way that is sometimes uplifting, often bleak and always authentic. Leading man Turner has appeared in all three of the aforementioned films and it is surprising that to date they are his only acting credits. He’s excellent here. One scene in which he describes a suicide attempt is particularly poignant and he shares a heartwarming chemistry with newcomer Mari. Loach’s lasting legacy, as well as his activism, is his ability to pluck amateur actors from obscurity and Mari is another example of a clever casting.
The Old Oak demonstrates both sides of the immigration debate and allows the viewer to make their own mind up. While it is overly didactic at times, that is surely Loach’s intention. He will be a sad loss to UK cinema when he does retire.