The Old Oak

Um «filme social» menos dramático e mais previsível do que o filme anterior de Loach, Passámos por Cá, mas ainda assim humana e emocionalmente cativante. Um choque entre a cultura de aldeia britânica e os refugiados sírios. Loach também compreende o conservadorismo dos velhos habitantes, que já passaram pelo seu caminho como pessoas da classe trabalhadora. E capta com empatia a cultura e a dor interior dos imigrantes, que não são de modo nenhum piores ou inferiores aos «nativos». Mas a história de vida mais poderosa é conectada a um homem que faz a ponte entre as duas culturas, o dono de um bar local, a quem não falta o temperamento local, nem compreensão ou vontade de ajudar. Visualmente, a direção de Loach é tradicionalmente simples, mas humanamente sincera, de 100% orientada para os personagens. [Cannes FF] (28/05/2023)

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. (29/10/2023)

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] (30/05/2023)