Where do you call HOME?

While I was in Galway for the film festival there, another Irish film just happened to be on at the same time at another cinema in town. HOME, directed by Dawn Scibilia and written/presented by Alan Cooke, is a look at New York City from the point of view of Alan, an Irish immigrant.

In addition to telling of his own experience, Cooke interviews various other people who have at one time or another made their home in New York. Covering those with Irish connections (Liam Neeson, Frank McCourt) and others from various other parts of the world (Alfred Molina, Rosie Perez, Mike Myers and more), Cooke certainly has done his homework.

If there's one aspect of the film that doesn't quite hit the mark, it's the ambiguity over exactly what the film is trying to achieve. What starts out as a film about the nature of immigrant life and what it is to call somewhere home ends up becoming more of a hymn to New York in particular. I don't have a problem with either, but there's every chance that a viewer enjoying one aspect won't have any interest in the other. I've got nothing against New York myself (never been) but I think there's another film to be made on that subject.

That said, Cooke does extremely well with the budget he had to work with (which was approximately zero). Indeed, that's presumably why the film focuses on New York so much - no doubt the filmmakers could have made a wonderful film about what home is by jetting off to cities all over the world, if they'd had the money to do so.

This shouldn't be taken as a major flaw in the film. Any such minor complaints are more than compensated for by a personable host in Cooke, who also provides a lyrical, almost poetic script, and the film is enhanced further by some beautiful photography that can't hide the low budget but certainly makes you forget all about it.

On top of that, many of the interviews are interesting. As someone who has lived their life in the city of their birth, I've never had any hesitation in saying where my home is (it was in my last entry - were you paying attention?) so to see it from other viewpoints is something that interests me. Neeson's revelation that he no longer thinks of Ireland as home; Molina's opinion that he's never found anywhere he'd give that tag; and Myers making a good case for why Toronto (a place I love, by the way) can't really shout about itself in the same way as the melting pot of New York; these and many more offer fascinating insights into what we call home.

The film was only showing for one week at one cinema in Galway (along with personal appearances by Cooke at each screening), but I know that it has had at least one other screening since then, last weekend at the IFI in Dublin. It might therefore appear at a venue near you soon. Keep an eye out for it.

New film, new festival

I realise that technically I've not yet finished my write-up of the Galway Film Fleadh (you'd forgotten I still had one short and one non-festival film to go?) but it'll have to wait.

You see, my home town of Dunfermline recently kicked off their first Carnegie Festival, which included a strand devoted to film. Now, granted, it's only a small-scale affair compared to most of the film festivals I attend, but with a dedication to both my hometown and film festivals it would be remiss of me not to cover it.

And so it was that I attended their first ever screening last night, a premiere of THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PYJAMAS. It's an adaptation of the novel by John Boyne and it's coming to UK cinemas next month. While not quite a sell out, the film was well attended and seemed to go down well with most of the audience. This I only garnered from chat afterwards mind you, as the film left everyone numbed and silent.

You see, if you've not already heard about it, it's a story of a boy in Nazi Germany who moves into the country to be near his dad's work (his dad being a commandant at a "work camp") and strikes up an unlikely friendship with a Jewish boy who lives on the other side of the fence.

I'll get the film's problems out the way first. For one thing, there's the problem that afflicts a great many war films (and this may vary between viewers, perhaps it's just me) and that is the idea of Germans being played by people with posh English accents. It takes a bit of getting used to.

Secondly, the film is anchored around a child, which is always a risky premise. The down side is that the boys' performances are just a tad too syrupy and goody-goody for my liking; the positives are that they are at least competent actors and do not have a negative impact on the film as a whole.

On the up side, the majority of the acting is first rate. David Thewlis is the commandant; Vera Farmiga (of THE DEPARTED and JOSHUA, and possessor of the sexiest eyes in Hollywood) is his wife. Both are good but the standout (and I'm not just saying this because he's Scottish) is the always reliable David Hayman (A SENSE OF FREEDOM, SMALL ENGINE REPAIR) as a Jewish servant.

It's also beautifully shot and the score by James Horner is hardly original but definitely effective.
Beyond this, I can't say much for fear of spoiling the film for anyone who, like me, has never read the book. Suffice to say that I was pleasantly surprised by the direction it took, but it's certainly not an uplifting tale of whimsical childhood antics.

Oh yeah, and I think I saw one of my old English teachers there too.

George Morrison: A (very minor) triumph

Hurrah! It's taken me a couple of attempts but now, finally, in my ongoing quest to have Mr Morrison's achievements recognised, I have succeeded in having the fantastic MISE EIRE added to the Internet Movie Database. Seriously, check this link. I'm so chuffed with myself.

Okay, so I forgot to put that funny little accent thingie over the "E", but come on, I don't speak Irish, I'm sure you can forgive me. The important thing is that it's there. I'll hopefully get round to submitting more credits (and adding the sequel) at some future date. Unless one of you does it first, which is fine by me. Lovers of Irish cinema unite!

And while I'm on the subject, the schedule for the Stranger Than Fiction documentary festival in Dublin next month has just been announced, and it includes WAITING FOR THE LIGHT (see recent blog entry!). I think I'll go and see it again.

The George Morrison campaign continues.

More on George Morrison

Following my last entry, here's another little public service.

If you read my recent rant about why George Morrison deserves your attention (and if you didn't, please do so now), then here's a great article in the Irish Times that goes some way towards explaining why he's so brilliant.

The Irish Film Institute, as mentioned in the above article, will be showing a trio of his short films on Wednesday 24th September. Click here for details. I won't be there, but I'll be at Stranger Than Fiction so more about that nearer the time.

TROUBLE SLEEPING on TV in Scotland

A quick interruption to the usual activity just to alert you that if you want to see TROUBLE SLEEPING, a new Edinburgh-set Scottish film which I blogged about at the EIFF, it's showing on BBC2 Scotland at 10pm on Monday 25 August.

Galway 2008: Irish Short Films

I may have finished all the Irish feature films I saw at the Galway Film Fleadh this year, but there's still one strand left to cover. I managed to catch one of the short film compilations (there were a few over the course of the festival) so thoughts on each of the films in the selection I saw (New Irish Shorts programme 1 if you're interested) are as follows.

UP FOR AIR (Mark Hodkinson, Richie Conroy) is a comedy in which a layabout young man has a chance encounter with his younger self. There's not much in the way of visual flair, but it's a competently made film with a witty script and a likable enough cast.

RETIREMENT (Joseph Campbell) concerns an old man who lives alone - or so he thinks. In fact, he is sharing his abode with a mouse and it appears that the house is only big enough for one of them. Comedy hijinks ensue, although the film is not without a touch of misery running through it.

REARVIEW (Jake McKone) is a witty look at a day in the life of an Irish taxi driver. As the story rolls on, the twist in the tail becomes slightly obvious before it happens but the director and cast have enough of a talent for comedy that even when it does happen you still can't help laughing out loud.

JANEY MARY (Paul Brady) is a short film that I'm going to write a separate blog entry about at a later date. Does that mean I loved it? Did I hate it? Am I just going to use it as a springboard to rant about something else entirely? It wouldn't be the first time, but I guess you'll have to come back soon to find out.

THE SILVER BOW (Robert Manson) is a touching little film showing a glimpse into the life of a Dublin street performer. If you've ever seen those guys standing in the street dressed as statues and thought they just looked like twats, this film might make you think twice!

DANGER HIGH VOLTAGE (Luke McManus) sees a brief glimpse of a lady's face trigger a flashback in a young man's memory to a fleeting encounter at an Irish music festival. I'll be honest, I didn't really take to this one at all but I don't grudge it the prize it won because whatever I didn't like about it, I have to admit it was one of the more visually striking entries in this shorts programme.

BASIN (Stevie Russell) is another short which, as with DANGER HIGH VOLTAGE, was visually impressive but otherwise left me cold. A man climbs out of a canal and, well, not much else really. Looks good though.

A SHORT FILM ABOUT CLEANING (Lorna Fitzsimons) again demonstrates that the director certainly has a firm grasp of filmmaking, but as accomplished as it is, it's still just a film of a woman cleaning a toilet. The director certainly shows promise though.

EIRIGH (Cathy Brady) looks stunning, a very brief film of the emergence of an Irish warrior, bearing some resemblance to an Irish take on Zack Snyder's film adaptation of Frank Miller's 300. I must confess however that I fear my ignorance of certain parts of Irish history probably meant this film didn't mean as much to me as it did to others.

ASBO BUMBLE BEE (Christian Johnston) is another comedy short. Following a bumble bee around for a day (or rather a man dressed as a bee) the film provokes laughs from the bee's antisocial behaviour but is enhanced no end by the weirdly memorable adaptation of a George Formby song as the film's soundtrack. Very rough around the edges, but funny.

PARALLEL THOUGHTS (David Souto) is a story of two lovers. Looks nice enough, but I really didn't get it.

WHO? (Paulina Plezia) is a look into the day-to-day existence of a woman struggling with her gradual loss of memory. It could have been fleshed out a little more but is still an honest look at a serious issue.

WALK ON BY (Tim Hanan) is a comedic look at the rivalry between two joggers. Darkly humorous, the punch line is hilarious. Another very funny film.

WINDING DOWN (Richard Parkin) is a portrait of an aging clock repairman who is struggling to continue but refuses to give up. The story is slight but delivered in style, with a good performance from the lead actor, whose name I forget, and a lovely look about the film.

THE MORSE COLLECTORS (David Cooke) takes place during wartime Ireland and centres around two Irish children. The boy is convinced that household noises are sending him messages in morse code; his sister is not convinced. Together they investigate and discover a very dark secret. This film was one of the most visually accomplished, cinematic films in this programme but it's certainly not without substance either, with the film packing an emotional punch that won't soon be forgotten.

WITHOUT WORDS (Brian Deane) is a short film that I already saw and mentioned last year in my coverage of the short films I saw at the Cork Film Festival. It was one of the best films I saw there, and it was one of the best films I saw here too. It's a touching look at a very serious problem in society and deserves a wider viewing - I'm delighted to say that it scooped a prize at the online Babelgum film festival in Cannes (and I believe if you're a Babelgum user you can download the film). Well deserved prize!

THE PERILS OF INTERNET DATING (Simon Eustace) is a lightweight but amusing glimpse into, well, exactly what it sounds like.

A LIFE (Jo Mangan) is a very short love story that might not amount to much but what it does it does with a whole lot of flair. Another visually arresting film.

THE CONFESSION (Thomas Hefferon) sees a young man attend confession and have an interesting conversation with a priest. Another great punch line.

THE PORTRAIT (Rouzie Hassanova) offers another case of a film that looks nice but doesn't connect. It certainly takes great care in addressing a controversial issue but again I just didn't connect.

THE MAN IN 301 (David Freyne) is the final film of the selection and sees a group of prison inmates tell their story, each of them blaming the titular character for their predicament. Dark and stylishly shot, the main talking point of this one is that it's a musical, with each of the inmates adopting a slightly different sound to tell their story. It's an interesting film and I must confess that some of the music was rather catchy.

Galway 2008: last of the Irish features

ALARM is a contemporary Irish thriller which sees a young lady (Ruth Bradley) buy her dream home in an out-of-town housing development outside Dublin. Unfortunately for her, she's still haunted by a break-in incident in her past - a situation not helped when even in her new home it appears that a burglar has a grudge against her.

In the film's favour, it does have something to say about the sterility of these out-of-town housing developments, the streets populated by commuting business high-flyers who don't speak to their neighbours, whole estates of characterless communities which serve little purpose except somewhere for people to sleep in between trips to the big city.

Sadly, it fails in most other areas. Below par acting, an air of unintended silliness to the script and some really unsympathetic characters (the boyfriend's supposed to be some kind of enigma - he's not, he's just bland)... it just doesn't work. It's a thriller with very few thrills. Bradley's lovely, I'll give you that, but I'm afraid I was expecting a little more than eye candy. I didn't get it though.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't also disappointed by SUMMER OF THE FLYING SAUCER too. A totally redundant intro scene featuring a cameo by Patrick Bergin tells us we're about to witness a story of growing up in the 60s. That's what we get right enough, but sadly it's a story populated with drippy teens, boring aliens and stereotypical supporting characters. No cliche is left unturned as two aliens (crashlanded in Ireland) unite with the hippy outcast to try and escape from the unwelcoming village community.

None of the cast shine particularly, and to be honest the most interesting observation on that front came when I spotted Lalor Roddy in a minor role. I don't believe I've ever seen any other screen work by him but he was in THIS PIECE OF EARTH at last year's Edinburgh Fringe, the single best piece of theatre I've ever seen.

The film will probably win over younger viewers and perhaps charm a few older ones who are familiar with the Irish setting, the 60s fashions or both. However, it's not a great film and is unlikely to be revisited by me. I gather it has secured an Irish cinema release this month though, so fair play to it and I wish it all the best - but I believe that 32A has also secured a release in Ireland too so if you want some Irish family entertainment, probably best to check that one instead. Actually, if you're Irish, you should see them both, if only to support your local film industry.

The last of the Irish feature films I saw was a big improvement. Again, it's a cast of mainly youngsters and again it's set in the recent past. This time however the movie, PEACEFIRE, deals with a bunch of dropout kids coping (or not) with the troubles in Northern Ireland. When one of them (SONG FOR A RAGGY BOY's John Travers) is offered the opportunity to turn tout for the Brits against the IRA (neither side being particularly friendly toward him), a world of trouble is visited upon him. Well acted, this compelling, gritty story is a triumph and a delightful end to my spate of Irish films from the Fleadh.

I'm not finished with Galway yet though - there are still a bunch of short films I saw there, plus another Irish film that I happened to see there outside of the Fleadh. So more is to come!

Galway 2008: two more from Ireland

Next up in my summary of Irish films viewed at Galway is domestic drama OUR WONDERFUL HOME by Ivan Kavanagh.

While the entire film is shot in a fly-on-the-wall documentary style, it's essentially structured in two parts. There's the actual documentary part, in which a girl and her parents are interviewed about their life and how lovely it is; then there's the drama part, in which we see the dark truth of the matter.

What unfolds is a stormy tale of the breakdown of a family and how greed and mistrust lead them all into places they'd rather not be. It's an unusual film and to say any more about the events that unfold may risk spoiling your enjoyment, so I'll not bother.

The film feels very much like a stage play, having a very small cast, very few locations (the claustrophobic feeling adding to the mood of the piece) and a lot of dialogue. Such an approach is always a potential pitfall in cinema but here it works in the film's favour. The cast certainly helps, with each of them delivering strong performances - there's the odd moment involving the teenage lead where I just wanted to slap her, but otherwise they're all excellent.

The only other real gripe I have with the film is that in going for a naturalistic, documentary feel, there's a little too much in the way of natural lighting - at least I'm assuming that's what it was - and it looks a bit too murky in places. Perhaps that's an artistic decision and I'll give Kavanagh the benefit of the doubt, but I didn't like it. That said, it's a very small complaint about an overall terrific piece of indie filmmaking.

I've raved here before about the Irish hit ONCE, which really did well in capturing the bohemian and romantic magic of Dublin. Well my next Irish film from Galway could, in that respect, be considered the flipside. If you want to see Dublin as a dark and scary place, KISSES is for you.

Kylie and Dylan are two kids who, following a domestic incident, run away from their rundown suburban home and find themselves wandering the streets of Dublin. As characters in such films are wont to do, they run into a wild assortment of characters and situations as Dylan searches for his brother, who is said to live somewhere in Dublin.

Despite making Dublin look like a horror show, the film is beautifully shot. It's a blend of colour and black and white, but as for how they're combined, it's best to see for yourself. I'll just say it's very clever and very effective and leave it at that.

Risky as it is for a film to be built round two kids, Kelly O'Neill and Shane Curry both hold their own and are a large part of the film's success. Though it might be a tough sell in more cynical markets, I'm hoping KISSES will pick up a widespread distribution. If it does, be sure to see it.

More Irish film coverage to come!