A wild and frantic comedy/drama/thriller, set in Ireland, about the lives of several people whose lives interconnect in surprising and often funny ways. Sounds great, right? Well about 2/3 of it is.
Events are set in motion when a small-time crook named John (Cillian Murphy, "28 Days Later) breaks up with his girlfriend, Deirdre (Kelly Macdonald, "Trainspotting", "Gosford Park"). She takes up with an older married man named Sam (Michael McEllhatton) who is later robbed by John and his friend Lehiff (a riveting and menacing Colin Farrel), who is being tailed by a cop (Colm Meaney), etc, etc, etc...
All the stories bounce off each other and connect at surprising times, and the effect can be exhilarating and exciting. All the actors are very good as well, particularly Farrel and Shirley Henderson, in a touching and funny performance as Dierdre's cynical, bitter sister.
Overall the film is pretty good, but when the story isn't really going anywhere, it drags and the chaos of it becomes a little grating. It's also difficult to understand what the actors are saying sometimes because of their thick Irish accent and slang.
It's a pretty good film, though, the kind I might watch in the future if I'm channel-surfing and I come across it.
Events are set in motion when a small-time crook named John (Cillian Murphy, "28 Days Later) breaks up with his girlfriend, Deirdre (Kelly Macdonald, "Trainspotting", "Gosford Park"). She takes up with an older married man named Sam (Michael McEllhatton) who is later robbed by John and his friend Lehiff (a riveting and menacing Colin Farrel), who is being tailed by a cop (Colm Meaney), etc, etc, etc...
All the stories bounce off each other and connect at surprising times, and the effect can be exhilarating and exciting. All the actors are very good as well, particularly Farrel and Shirley Henderson, in a touching and funny performance as Dierdre's cynical, bitter sister.
Overall the film is pretty good, but when the story isn't really going anywhere, it drags and the chaos of it becomes a little grating. It's also difficult to understand what the actors are saying sometimes because of their thick Irish accent and slang.
It's a pretty good film, though, the kind I might watch in the future if I'm channel-surfing and I come across it.