The Old Oak

I HAVE ALWAYS HAD MIXED FEELINGS ABOUT KENLOACH AS A DIRECTOR. ALTHOUGH HE HAS MADE SOME GREAT FILMS ("JIMMY'S HALL" IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF BRILLIANT FILM-MAKING), HE HAS ALSO MADE FILMS IN WHICH SOME OF HIS CHARACTERS HAVE BEEN DEPICTED AS CARDBOARD VILLAINS WHO DESERVE TO BE PUNISHED. (FOR EXAMPLE, "RIFF RAFF" & "THE ANGEL'S SHARE" BOTH SHOW THEIR MAIN CHARACTERS COMITTING CRIMES & GETTING AWAY WITH IT & MR LOACH SEEMED TO WANT TO JUSTIFY THEIR CRIMES. AND, ALTHOUGH I DIDN'T SEE THE SHORT FILM HE MADE ABOUT THE 9/11 ATTACK, I REMEMBER THAT ANDREW SARRIS CRITICIZED IT FOR COMPARING IT TO AUGUSTO PINOCHET'S FASCISTIC COUP AGAINST SALVADOR ALLENDE- WHICH OCCURRED ON 09/11/73- BECAUSE HE FELT THAT MR. LOACH WAS SAYING THAT THE US DESERVED TO BE ATTACKED). HOWEVER, THERE AREN'T ANY CARDBOARD VILLAINS IN "THE OLD OAK." FOR EXAMPLE, EVEN THE WHITE MAN COMMITS THE AWFUL CRIME OF BREAKING THE CAMERA OF THE SYRIAN REFUGEE WOMAN IS DEPICTED AS A HOPELESS ALCOHOLIC DUE TO HIS ECONOMIC SITUATION. AND THE PLIGHT OF WORKING CLASS PEOPLE OF ALL COLORS IS EXPRESSED SO SUCCINCTLY BY DAVE TURNER'S HEARTFELT PERFORMANCE- ESPECIALLY IN THE TENDER TONE HE USES WHEN DEALING WITH MS. MARI'S CHARACTER & WITH THE QUIETLY FIRM TONE HE USES WHEN HE MAKES THE CHARACTER CHARLIE REALIZE HOW WRONG HE IS TO BE RESENTFUL OF THE SYRIAN REFUGEES. I THINK THAT MR. LOACH PROBABLY COULD HAVE OFFERED SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THE DAMAGE THAT HAS BEEN DONE TO SYRIA BY THE EL-ASSAD FAMILY BECAUSE IT WAS THEIR REFUSAL TO HELP THE SUNNI MUSLIMS WHO WERE SUFFERING FROM A DROUGHT THAT CAUSED THE SYRIAN REFUGEE PROBLEM & ALSO LED TO THE CREATION OF ISIS. IF ANYONE DESERVES TO BE DEPICTED AS CARDBOARD VILLAINS, IT IS THE LATE, UNLAMENTED HAFEZ-EL ASSAD & HIS SON.