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THE ANGELS' SHAREMovie Reviews
Drama comedy about a young father who gets a lucky break when a community service sentence unexpectedly introduces him to the world of high-class whiskey. Cast:Paul Brannigan, John Henshaw, Gary Maitland, Jasmin Riggins, William Ruane, Roger Allam, Siobhan Reilly, Chooye Bay, Paul Birchard, James Casey, Roderick Cowie, Paul Donnelly, Scott Dymond, Nick Farr, David GoodallDirector:Ken LoachRelease Date:April 12, 2013DVD Release: TBD From:IFCLength:1 hr 46 min
The Angels' Share opened in key cities to very good reviews. • David Edelstein wrote in New York Magazine, "...a caper that puts us on the edge of our seats and in dire need of a shot. The end is sweet but dry with a hint of bitter tannin. It should travel marvelously." More Reviews Below...
The Angels' Share Positive Reviews (33 Reviews, reviews below)
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a spiky neo-realist version of a feel-good fable.... it's the ultimate Scottish heist: stealing priceless whiskey out of a cask. It's all a bit facile, but hard to resist."(See all of Owen Gleiberman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 80 words, 04/12/13
Claudia Puig, USA Today: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...wonderfully engaging.... Paul Brannigan is terrific, and the entire supporting cast is superb.... the movie achieves a magical blend of gritty and heartwarming..."(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 610 words, 04/18/13
James Rocchi, MSN Movies: VERY GOOD(cg) "...the work of a slightly looser, lighter Ken Loach than seen in recent films... there's still grit between the gags and realism behind the ruses."(See all of James Rocchi's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 719 words, 04/11/13
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Common Sense Media: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "With absolutely nothing against his excellent serious works like 'Kes' and 'The Wind that Shakes the Barley,' it's nice to see Loach finding the time to relax... Age 16."(See all of Jeffrey M. Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 443 words, 04/22/13
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (13 Reviews)
Stephen Holden, New York Times: GOOD "Before it turns lighter and fizzier, it offers a pungently realistic portrait of hopelessness and frustration... it transforms into an amiable, if far-fetched, heist comedy..."(See all of Stephen Holden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 674 words, 04/12/13
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: EXCELLENT(cg) "...a charming and remarkably sweet-natured heist flick -- though it's one that lopes along with the threat of violence, prison and possibly death hovering above."(See all of Elizabeth Weitzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 239 words, 04/12/13
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times/Chicago Tribune: VERY GOOD "...unexpectedly warm, hopeful and humorous.... At times the film is as rough around the edges as its central characters.... [but] it leaves a warm glow."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 671 words, 04/12/13
Farran Smith Nehme, New York Post: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Somewhere past the halfway mark, all darkness lifts, and the movie settles firmly into comic territory. While a few farcical moments fizzle, it's mostly charming."(See all of Farran Smith Nehme's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 259 words, 04/12/13
John Anderson, New York Newsday: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...delightful.... Loach's lifelong lefty-wing sentiments retain their heady bouquet: Charity and redemption are its underlying themes, even if its major intoxicant is humor."(See all of John Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 323 words, 04/19/13
David Edelstein, New York Magazine: VERY GOOD "...a caper that puts us on the edge of our seats and in dire need of a shot. The end is sweet but dry with a hint of bitter tannin. It should travel marvelously."(See all of David Edelstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 129 words, 04/08/13
Steven Boone, Chicago Sun-Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Forget about the plot.... What's important is the voice that tells the tale, offering an affectionate, grandfatherly view of jobless young people struggling to get by."(See all of Steven Boone's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 827 words, 03/22/13
Calum Marsh, Village Voice/LA Weekly: MODERATE "...suddenly transforms in its final act... reduces what began as a smart film about class to a vacuous one about nothing much at all..."(See all of Calum Marsh's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 231 words, 04/10/13
Linda Barnard, Toronto Star: VERY GOOD(cg) "Cinematographer Robbie Ryan ('Ginger & Rosa') brings visual poetry to the journey, aided by a whimsical soundtrack featuring Scottish twins The Proclaimers."(See all of Linda Barnard's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 655 words, 05/17/13
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT(cg) "Ken Loach and screenwriter Paul Laverty nudge the story delicately and without much fuss, trusting the actors to provide the necessary emotional weight."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 215 words, 05/16/13
KEY CITIES (8 Reviews)
Stephanie Merry, Washington Post: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...despite its ultimate sense of optimism, the Glasgow-set dramedy nevertheless carries a sense of foreboding. And yet, that might not have been the intention."(See all of Stephanie Merry's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 521 words, 04/26/13
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: VERY GOOD(cg) "...bittersweet.... If you want to look for it, you'll find a layer of metaphor and social-realist commentary amid the gentle, life-affirming laughs."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 160 words, 05/10/13
Tom Russo, Boston Globe: VERY GOOD(cg) "Loach divides his time between familiar hardscrabble territory and a breezier narrative landscape... charming enough to satisfy even the trenchant-commentary crowd."(See all of Tom Russo's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 488 words, 04/26/13
Stephen Whitty, New Jersey Star-Ledger: VERY GOOD(cg) "...like the spirit it celebrates, this movie is a neat little jolt of pleasure -- and guaranteed to leave you feeling just a mite warmer."(See all of Stephen Whitty's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 500 words, 04/12/13
Walter Addiego, San Francisco Chronicle: VERY GOOD(cg) "...an unexpectedly breezy comedy.... The film turns into a comic heist, but its earlier depiction of its hero's plight is more typical of Ken Loach."(See all of Walter Addiego's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 60 words, 04/19/13
Grant Butler, Portland Oregonian: EXCELLENT(cg) "Ken Loach strikes a nice balance between portraying the bleak life of Glasgow's lower class and the fun that unfolds as Robbie and his misfit friends act out their scheme."(See all of Grant Butler's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 174 words, 02/07/13
Calum Marsh, Village Voice/LA Weekly: MODERATE "...suddenly transforms in its final act... reduces what began as a smart film about class to a vacuous one about nothing much at all..."(See all of Calum Marsh's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 231 words, 04/10/13
Mike D'Angelo, AV Club: GOOD(cg) "...cheerfully weightless.... there are plenty of laughs, a host of vivid performances, and some genuinely fascinating details about the world of real alcohol snobs..."(See all of Mike D'Angelo's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 340 words, 05/22/12
Elena Razlogova, Pop Matters: EXCELLENT(cg) "Loach offsets the difficulties of Robbie's rather bleak world with hilarious wordplay and slapstick. Gary Maitland is especially funny as the ignorant but witty Albert..."(See all of Elena Razlogova's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 405 words, 05/23/12
Glenn Heath Jr., Slant: MODERATE(cg) "...like some hybrid born from the loins of 'Sideways' and 'The Full Monty,' reveling in a brand of cheeky camaraderie that feels ultimately cheap..."(See all of Glenn Heath Jr.'s reviews...)(Read the full review...) 524 words, 04/05/13
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT(cg) "Ken Loach and screenwriter Paul Laverty nudge the story delicately and without much fuss, trusting the actors to provide the necessary emotional weight."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 215 words, 05/16/13
HIGHBROW PRESS (4 Reviews)
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: VERY GOOD "...delightful.... The young man's journey is terrifically comical; he and his companions come together in a sort of gang that can't think straight."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 388 words, 04/12/13
Stephen Holden, New York Times: GOOD "Before it turns lighter and fizzier, it offers a pungently realistic portrait of hopelessness and frustration... it transforms into an amiable, if far-fetched, heist comedy..."(See all of Stephen Holden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 674 words, 04/12/13
Ella Taylor, NPR: GOOD "...graphically observant about the ease with which young men starved of opportunities can turn their energies inward to destroying themselves and one another."(See all of Ella Taylor's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 776 words, 04/11/13
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "...unexpectedly warm, hopeful and humorous.... At times the film is as rough around the edges as its central characters.... [but] it leaves a warm glow."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 671 words, 04/12/13
MOVIE INDUSTRY (6 Reviews)
Leslie Felperin, Variety: GOOD "An amiable comedy... finds Ken Loach and Paul Laverty in better, breezier form than their rebarbative prior effort, 'Route Irish'.... has a pleasantly scratchy realist look..."(See all of Leslie Felperin's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 725 words, 05/22/12
Stephen Dalton, Hollywood Reporter: VERY GOOD "...unusually joyful.... a few clumsy touches do not seriously diminish the charm of a film that is ultimately a heart-warming celebration of kindness, friendship, forgiveness."(See all of Stephen Dalton's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 884 words, 05/22/12
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "...unexpectedly warm, hopeful and humorous.... At times the film is as rough around the edges as its central characters.... [but] it leaves a warm glow."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 671 words, 04/12/13
Emanuel Levy, Cinema 24/7: VERY GOOD(cg) "...likable, warm, and accessible.... The tale gets more conventional and predictable, but also more enjoyable, when the quartet decides on a heist."(See all of Emanuel Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 660 words, 05/28/12
Stephen Holden, New York Times: GOOD "Before it turns lighter and fizzier, it offers a pungently realistic portrait of hopelessness and frustration... it transforms into an amiable, if far-fetched, heist comedy..."(See all of Stephen Holden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 674 words, 04/12/13
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: VERY GOOD "...delightful.... The young man's journey is terrifically comical; he and his companions come together in a sort of gang that can't think straight."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 388 words, 04/12/13
12.0 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
The Angels' Share's reviews are separated by an average 12.0 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
The Angels' Share (33 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:The Angels' Share's reviews cover 44.6% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 14,811 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 449 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 16 Days Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
The Angels' Share's reviews on average broke 16 days before opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is The Angels' Share's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
The Angels' Share (33 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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