The Angels' Share (2012)

Narrowly avoiding jail, new dad Robbie vows to turn over a new leaf. A visit to a whisky distillery inspires him and his mates to seek a way out of their hopeless lives.

Director:

Ken Loach

Writer:

Paul Laverty (screenplay)

Stars:

Paul Brannigan, John Henshaw, Roger Allam

7 wins & 10 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Paul Brannigan	...	Robbie
Siobhan Reilly	...	Leonie
John Henshaw	...	Harry
Gary Maitland	...	Albert
William Ruane	...	Rhino
Jasmin Riggins	...	Mo (as Jasmine Riggins)
Scott Dymond	...	Willy
Scott Kyle	...	Clancy
Neil Leiper	...	Sniper
James Casey	...	Dougie
Caz Dunlop	...	Caz
Gilbert Martin	...	Matt
Stewart Preston	...	Sheriff
Vincent Friell	...	Procurator Fiscal
Kirstin Murray	...	Defence Lawyer

Storyline

This bitter sweet comedy follows protagonist Robbie as he sneaks into the maternity hospital to visit his young girlfriend Leonie and hold his newborn son Luke for the first time. Overwhelmed by the moment, he swears that Luke will not have the same tragic life he has had. Escaping a prison sentence by the skin of his teeth, he's given one last chance......While serving a community service order, he meets Rhino, Albert and Mo who, like him, find it impossible to find work because of their criminal records. Little did Robbie imagine how turning to drink might change their lives - not cheap fortified wine, but the best malt whiskies in the world. Will it be 'slopping out' for the next twenty years, or a new future with 'Uisge Beatha' the 'Water of Life?' Only the angels know........

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Plot Keywords:

distillery | community service | heist | kilt | scotch whisky | 

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Taglines:

Enjoy responsibly.

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film features the 'acting' of two former Dundee United football players - Charlie Miller (one of Leonie's uncles) and Andy McLaren (the father of Robbie's assault victim at the meeting).

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Goofs

When Albert is sitting on Rhino's shoulder looking through the pub window you can see the cameraman's reflection in the window on the right of Albert. The cameraman's reflection becomes even more visible after Rhino puts Albert down.

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Quotes

Albert: What is that? That there. What is that?
Rhino: What, that big thing on top of the hill?
Albert: You cannae miss looking at that. What *is* that?
Rhino: It's Edinburgh Castle, Albert.
Albert: Is it?
Rhino: Aye.
Albert: What did they put it up there for?

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Alternate Versions

UK cinema- and DVD versions have eight uses of the strongest profanity removed in order to obtain a 15 classification. The Blu-ray is uncut and rated 18.

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Connections

Featured in At the Movies: Cannes Film Festival 2012 (2012)

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Soundtracks

Some Chords
Performed by Deadmau5
Licensed courtesy of Virgin Records Limited
Written by Deadmau5 (as Joel Zimmerman)
Published by EMI Music Publishing Limited

User Reviews

Everyone deserves a second chance

The Angels' Share is the first Ken Loach film I have ever seen, and I really liked it. I heard a lot about Ken Loach films before I saw The Angels' Share but I never had time to see one. I must say he is a talented director. I was impressed by the choice of actors, which is very judicious. I would compliment all the actors and I would reserve a special mention for Paul Brannigan, the main character. The acting is so realistic that the film seems like a real documentary about Scots'lives. The characters are friendly, and endearing. We can see a lot of beautiful Scottish landscapes during the whole film, and this is really pleasant. Ken Loach made an original storyline, and his film allows everybody to have a great time. It is a sweet comedy, hilarious sometimes, but mainly poignant. The film speaks with heart, humor and lightness about the social realism of delinquents. It shows that everyone deserves a second chance in life, even if it is very hard to get out of a situation you were born in. Ken Loach knows how to put a strong message in simple words. The Angels' Share is a good film, which is food for though. I was interested in watching it thanks to his participation at the Cannes Film Festival, and I was not disappointed by any aspect of the film. If I were you, I would go quickly to the cinema to see it. I would recommend it to anyone.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Japan]

Country:

UK France Belgium Italy

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 June 2012 (UK)

Also Known As:

The Angels' Share

Filming Locations:

Mitchell Lane, Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland, UK

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$18,837, 14 April 2013

Gross USA:

$346,669

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$13,090,471

Company Credits

Production Co:

Entertainment One, Sixteen Films, Why Not Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1