Film Review - Stalker

Director Mark O’Connor arrived at the Galway Film Fleadh with a bang in 2012. Armed with a manifesto and two films under his arm he wanted to shake up the Irish film industry a little bit. The two films were King of the Travellers (released in cinemas this year) and his latest film Stalker which is yet to be released. The manifesto got quite a bit of press and Stalker was second in the best Irish feature award (no shame in being second to the excellent Good Vibrations) and was widely praised at the time. So why hasn’t the film arrived on our screens? Irish films need publicity to stand a chance of being seen at the cinemas and considering the marketing budgets are miniscule surely festival goodwill is an opportunity to help with the marketing a little bit. This is an argument that will run and run about why we do not see Irish films at the cinema and it is one I am sure I will be returning to. But coming back to Stalker, what does Mark O’Connor have in store for us? Well for me Stalker is as fascinating an Irish film as I have seen in quite some time.

Stalker tells the story of Oliver (John Connors), a homeless man wandering the streets who befriends a young boy called Tommy (Barry Keoghan) who he helps fight off bullies. Tommy’s life is in a bad way with a drug addicted mother and a crazy drug dealing uncle Rudyard (Peter Coonan). Oliver vows to help Tommy but his intensity scares Tommy a little. Plot wise that is about it but this is a film less inclined towards plot and more towards tone and feeling.

In my reviews of O’Connor’s previous films Between the Canals and King of the Travellers I mentioned that his films feel a little rough around the edges. That may have sounded like a criticism and in some ways it was. But it is also a compliment in that it gives his films a particular feel and tone that not all Irish filmmakers have. In Stalker he is aided by some beautiful camera work by Eoin Macken which initially brings a touch of the fairytale to an otherwise dark film. In the final third the camera work is used in a heightened fashion which also serves the ending well. So the look of the film is excellent - what about the rest of it?

John Connors is superb as Oliver; completely convincing as someone with some serious mental health problems. He is also co-writer here and he is a real talent. He commands the screen in a very naturalistic way and it looks effortless. Barry Keoghan is also very good and is an actor to watch. The two share some scenes that are intense and emotional. Peter Coonan is his usual manic self and his character Rudyard is an odious one. But Coonan plays it a little too broad and over the top at times and I would like to have seen a little more control in the performance.

The film does have some issues. There is a scene set in a cinema that is a little unconvincing. While I liked the idea of the scene, the way it plays out doesn’t really ring true. I don’t want to give away any more details that would spoil it but it comes across as a little too on the nose in relation to the state of modern Irish filmmaking. Perhaps it is the script that is at fault here as it gives Oliver too much information to impart. It is the only time in the film that Oliver sounds like he is explicitly delivering the words and viewpoint of the writer rather than just talking. There is also a bit of a problem towards the climax when the plot and narrative take over. Stalker (and indeed O’Connor) is at its best when it is freewheeling along without any real narrative concern. The utterly strange feeling is more than enough to sustain real interest. But the film rallies to deliver a really intense and feverish climax that works very well indeed.

There is a real feeling here that with Stalker, Mark O’Connor has finally found his cinematic voice. Stalker has a more experimental feel and this benefits O’Connor hugely. This approach may well produce a masterpiece in the future. And with the wonderful John Connors writing and starring with him he may well have found his muse. I for one look forward to the next two films arriving in Galway.  

Film Review - The Irish Pub (2013)

 The new documentary The Irish Pub reaches the screens in a timely manner as the dying embers of Arthurs Day flicker out. This was a chance to explore our complex relationship with alcohol be it for good or for bad. Pubs are still the social centre of life in Ireland. Remember the slightly odd advertisements calling pubs the original social network? What better way to look at all of this than a documentary on the big screen. Sure we can go for a pint afterwards and discuss it.

The documentary sets out its stall with the meeting of various landlords in iconic or old pubs all over Ireland and letting them talk. Some of the characters on camera are more compelling than others, particularly Paul Gartlan in his pub in Cavan. He is a force of nature straight out of Deadwood and could easily have his own spin off film. The problem here is that there is very little to tie it together. There is no structure or forward momentum which makes the film feel a shade longer than its tidy 76 minutes. When the talking heads are interesting, it is fine, but when they are a little duller, it drags. The film struggles through the first half hour in a whimsical fashion, painting an Ireland that surely would be believable to a certain kind of homesick Diaspora. 30 minutes in and I was beginning to worry the whole film would continue like this.

Thankfully the film improves immeasurably when it tackles the importance of the pub to people who are lonely and use the pub as a lifeline. To a young generation this may not mean much but to older people who live alone, a local pub that keeps you a chair on a winters evening - it is a vital link to the outside world. This is explored here and it is the role of the landlord that is very important particularly in rural areas. Some of the camerawork is excellent here, with specific close-up shots in certain pubs memorable.

But this is a film with problems. The main one is its determination to explore the past rather than the present. With this, The Irish Pub seems in thrall to a kind of dangerous nostalgia. Jokes are made about whether women could go in the pub (they could, in the lounge or the snug, not the bar) without being challenged or at least contextualised. New Ireland, with its steady supply of young people (there are only a couple of young people amongst the talking heads) presumably ready to be loud and obnoxious are virtually ignored. What we are left with is the Ireland of the past, of Ryan’s Daughter, cream crackers and polo mints (some of the pubs are also shops). At one point (pint?) during the Irish pub a picture of the Virgin Mary is seen next to a Guinness glass. If there is a better image to represent Ireland of the last century I have yet to see it. They make queasy bedfellows at the best of times and yet you would not know it watching The Irish Pub. The film virtually ignores any negative aspects of the pub. There is no one drunk onscreen (I presume deliberately) and there is no sense that there is anything wrong with going to the pub night after night. I was not expecting a miserable documentary exploring the horrors of drink but at least some mention of growing problems in our society would have been welcome. John B. Keane’s pub is featured as is his son who tells an amusing story of his father using material from the bar in his plays. Yet there is only a passing mention of Brendan Behan and practically nothing about the fact that alcohol essentially caused his early death. Again not expecting a serious exploration but more than a brief mention would and should have been there.

The Irish Pub is an interesting documentary but it feels like an incomplete story. If you have a burning desire to see Ireland as it once was, this is the film for you. I noted in a superb article by Ronan Doyle on Irish cinema (http://www.indiewire.com/article/why-you-need-to-start-paying-attention-to-irish-cinema) a mention of a panel discussion at IFNY that will be discussing American investment in Irish films to see if the Irish American audience could be catered for. Well this could be the prototype model. I imagine it would be approved by The Gathering and Licensed Vintners Association as well. This to me is why overall despite some interesting points the film fails honourably.

Short film reviews

 Last week I was looking through my DVR to see what needed to be deleted to make space. I was hovering at the 25% free space mark and was beginning to worry. I quickly realised that amongst my recordings I had set a series link for the shortscreen series. I flicked through and counted around 20 Irish short films that I had yet to watch.

This led me to reconsider an idea I had had a couple of years ago but dismissed at the time. I thought about it some more and decided to give it a run. I am going to do Irish short film reviews, about 150 – 250 words per film. I have never reviewed a short film before so it will be interesting. Plus the limited word count means I need to economic as it falls mid way between a tweet and a full review!

If you would like a short film reviewed you can contact me via twitter (@jaycoyle, follow me, I am great on Twitter!) or if you want you can contact me by email (cineireland@gmail.com). Please be aware that I have about 20 films to review already so if you send me one please be patient. I will get to your film as soon as I can.  

Film Review - Citadel (2013)

There is a clear contemporary feel to Ciaran Foy’s Citadel, the new Irish horror film. Horror films can reflect the times and the societal pressures we live under, George A. Romero’s Dead trilogy being a perfect example. The horror in Citadel is certainly concerned with the everyday world in which we find ourselves. It is in the dark winter nights when we are afraid to venture out. Ireland is a country that has shut its eyes, lest we see what has become of it. It is a horrifying idea that we may have lost our country to decay, both financial and moral. Social issues are scattered across the muddied palette of Citadel, with the fear of marauding out-of-control gangs the main worry here. It also touches on urban decay, the terrifying concept of ghost estates and most importantly the dangers of ignoring the needs of the poorest in society. If you do not feed and nourish them at some point they will bite back. But perhaps all this would be rendered mute if the film itself didn’t work in horror terms. I am happy to say that for the most part Citadel does get under your skin but with some reservations.

The story begins with Tommy (Aneurin Barnard) and his pregnant wife leaving their crumbling tower block apartment for the last time. Whilst an agoraphobic Tommy is stuck in the malfunctioning lift his wife is attacked by hooded youths. Tommy sees the attack but is unable to help her and she ends up in a coma. Their baby is delivered early and Tommy looks after the child on his own in a small house in an area that is rapidly falling part. Tommy’s agoraphobia has worsened to the point that he can barely leave the house. Even when he does make it out he is terrified of the threats he perceives on the streets. 

The film is at its most effective in the first hour or so. The visual representation of Tommy’s agoraphobia and the heightened sound design combine spectacularly well to create an atmosphere of pure dread. This is all done without anything substantial happening, mostly suggested movements taking place at the edges of the frame. Tommy’s fear that the hooded youths have come back to take his child is a plausible one and creates tension. The streets where he lives are also impressively oppressive, with the buses in particular given a disgusting sheen. Anyone who has got on a dodgy last bus home will recognise the same feeling albeit in heightened terms here. This is all very good and there is a sense at this point that this could be a bit of a horror gem. Alas, this is where Citadel falls into the familiar trap that a lot of horror films fall into: the dreaded film character ‘exposition’.

The introduction of a local priest (a scenery chewing James Cosmo) who knows more about the gangs than he lets on slows the story down. There is also a kindly nurse (Wunmi Mosaku) who believes that people are inherently good. It is at this point the film takes a momentum killing hiatus to explain what is happening and give as much back-story as possible. This somewhat kills the carefully built up atmosphere created in the first hour. So many horror films do this and it is really not necessary. The film rallies for its final act, delivering a decent conclusion within the budget constraints. There is an unfortunate CGI heavy shot at the end that really could have been left out. What is most frustrating about the finale is that some of the imagery on display would have been so much more effective and horrifying without the exposition that came beforehand. But there are scares to be had in the final act and it concludes the film on the right note.

Citadel is a film well worth seeing at the cinema. Foy is a director to watch and given a decent budget and with this experience under him he may well go on to great things. A wobbly middle aside his direction is crisp with some excellent shots that work very well. Just stop telling me the whys and wherefores. I really do not need to know. At its best Citadel is a film that will have you squirming nervously in your cinema seat. You cannot ask much more from a horror film than that. 

My Irish films to see at Jameson Dublin International Film Festival

There are quite a number of Irish films showing at this year’s festival so how do you know which ones to see? The answer is you don’t! That is the wonderful thing about film festivals, the film you are most looking forward to can be a let down, and a film you have very little expectation from can surprise and delight you. This is the wondrous thing about cinema and the main reason I am obsessed with it. With this in mind here are the Irish films I will be seeing at this year’s festival. You can expect full reviews of these films soon (not sure when, as I am attending 17 films at the festival this year!).

1. The Good Man

Starring The Wire’s own Tommy Carcetti, Aidan Gillen stars as Michael, a banker (boo!) whose life begins to unravel after an accident. It is the unexpected collision with another mans life, Sifoso, in Cape Town that will ultimately be his reckoning. There is the possibility that this film will descend into cliché but I am optimistic that we will get something here that will say something about ourselves and the world in general.

Screening: 16^th February 4pm Cineworld 11

2. Where I Am

This documentary tells the story of Robert Drake, an American writer who was viciously assaulted and left for dead by two men in Sligo in 1999. Left permanently brain damaged and unable to walk, Drake was painted as a predatory gay man at the trial of his assailants. The documentary follows Drake as he returns to Ireland over a decade later. This is a story I knew very little about and it is a film I am really looking forward to seeing.

Screening: 16^th February 6.45pm Lighthouse 1

3. Broken Song

This unlikely documentary follows three Dublin men, Git, Costello and Willa Lee who see themselves as street poets, hip hop artists and songwriters. This film raises the intriguing question: namely can we see past people’s roots and upbringing and see what is inside? As a working class northsider myself I am fascinated by my own response to the question. We may have a Pyjama Girls for young men on our hands here.

Screening: 19^th February 6.10pm IFI 1

4. Jump

‘Jump follows the lives of four twenty-somethings whose lives collide one fateful New Year's Eve amidst the ancient walls of Derry, Northern Ireland in a night of fast talk, accidents and intrigue.’ To be honest this is the kind of all too familiar description that makes me nervous going to see some Irish films. But should it have more than the description suggests we could have a real winner on our hands.

Screening: 19^th February 9pm Lighthouse 1

5. Milo

This is the story of 10 year old Milo who is unaware that he suffers from a rare genetic disease. His parents keep him under strict control but invariably real life gets in the way. This Irish/Dutch co-production could be a small gem but the real worry is if the script is strong enough to sustain a feature as the story seems quite slight. I hope to be pleasantly surprised.

Screening: 23^rd February 3:45pm Cineworld 11

6. The Moth Diaries

I do not even know where to begin with this one. An IFB co-funded horror film from the director of American Psycho should really sell itself but bad reviews seem to have sunk its chances. I will approach it with an open mind as I am a fan of the director and of its Irish star Sarah Bolger but this one worries me the most.

Screening: 23^rd February 6pm Cineworld 8

One to note: Natan

Irish filmmaker Paul Duane’s Natan, about a French film pioneer largely forgotten should certainly be a must see for people who are interested in film history (I will be there). I was a big fan of his film Barbaric Genius  and although this is a film  not set in or about Ireland it is directed by a fine Irish filmmaker.

Screening: 15^th February 6.10pm IFI 1

One to avoid: The Hardy Bucks Movie

Now I know I said that you should keep an open mind but this is a film I would sell a kidney to avoid. It sold out quite quickly so I could not see it anyway but not being a fan of the show or the trailer for the film, I am fine with missing out. Using the classic TV show trope of sending the cast on holiday (Euro 2012 here) this one seems destined to be awful. But who knows, maybe it will ‘buck’ the trend (see what I did there). Knowing what I know about cinema then, I expect this to be a huge box office success.

Screening: 18^th February 8.15pm Lighthouse 1

Honourable mentions for films I won't see at the festival but have heard good things about are The Summit and Black Ice. I am sure i will see these two in the future.

If you would like to purchase tickets for these films or any others here is the link: http://www.jdiff.com/index.php/guide/guide/buying_tickets

 So these are the films I will be seeing.  Have you got some other Irish films you will be seeing? Let me know below.