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.
If you want to look for it, you'll find a layer of metaphor (the distilling process as a symbol of the characters' evolution) and social-realist commentary amid the gentle, life-affirming laughs.
– Colin Covert,
Minneapolis Star Tribune,
9 May 2013
fresh:
Loach takes us through the mysteries of whisky making, exploring the subtle tastes and scents in ways that will have audiences wishing they had a dram at hand. But a glass also serves more symbolic purposes ...
– Linda Barnard,
Toronto Star,
16 May 2013
rotten:
The result is a sometimes gritty, occasionally charming Highland hybrid, but the final balance feels slightly off-kilter.
– Michael Posner,
Globe and Mail,
17 May 2013
rotten:
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.
– Stephanie Merry,
Washington Post,
1 Jan 2014
fresh:
Modest in scale, expansive in emotions, this movie is a rarity: a contemporary tragicomedy.