Director: Ken Loach, UK, 104min
Stars: Atta Yaqub, Eva Birthistle
On general release
Like My Name is Joe and Sweet Sixteen, Loach’s third film set around Glasgow deals with conflict and trial, but it depicts a brighter, more hopeful world.The title is borrowed from a Robert Burns song about lovers forced to part by society, and this theme is reflected in the story of Casim (Yaqub), a young Muslim who falls for Roisin (Birthistle), a lapsed Catholic. Casim’s family have arranged for him to marry his cousin, but after meeting Roisin he realises that he wants to choose his own future. He risks disgracing his family if he continues the affair, while she also meets some unexpected obstacles.
Ae Fond Kiss uses individual stories to explore wider issues of identity, race and family, but the characters are too subtly scripted and portrayed to become clichéd vehicles for social comment. With its naturalistic camera-work and soul-wrenching drama, this is a trademark Loach film; just with a lighter, funnier touch than he is usually credited with.
Carola Long