Movie Review: Bring Them Down

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B+

A dark but excellent drama from Ireland. 

This movie is never pleasant to watch, however it is one that will stay with you long after the credits. This is mainly due to the characters themselves. Though this film is about a conflict between two families turning violent, it doesn't take anyone's side or give us any clear human or villain. These are normal people, who may do bad things but still are not without a conscience. One of the most disturbing scenes of this film (one that is extremely difficult to watch) ends with one of the characters responsible being horrified and left speechless by his own actions. After this we are forced to confront whether or not we can ever forgive and care about this character again after what he did. Our choice of whether we can forgive him or not changes how we will view the rest of the film. Other characters who start off very likable, show very dark sides before the film finishes. Yet what scares us about each of these characters is how much we can see of ourselves in them, even the darkest parts. Because of this we connect to these characters and become emotionally invested in this story, even if none of the characters are traditionally likable. 

Like many of the best Irish films, this movie takes full advantage of its Irish setting. Set in the Irish countryside, this movie perfectly uses the contrast of beauty of this setting and the darkness of the story to create something even more disturbing. At the same time, it uses the quietness and emptiness of this setting to make us feel the same isolation and desperation that these characters do. First time director Chris Andrews (who also co-wrote this film) has previously worked as a cameraman and that experience shows in the wonderful shots that make up this film. 

The filmmaker's Rashomon-like decision to tell this story first from one point of view followed by another doesn't fully work. Mostly because while the shift to the second point of view fills in a few story points, it does not change the way we viewed anything that happened. Because of this, this method of storytelling does not add anything to movie. Instead, this movie would have worked the same (if not better) if it had been told in a more linear fashion. This decision can also make this film drag towards the mid-section. 

This may not be a pleasant movie at all, and many might find it too hard to watch. However, the complex way this movie presents its characters and the great visual storytelling make this an excellent film for the right audience.    

Movie Review: The Quiet Girl (An Cailín Ciúin)

 

Michael's Movie Grade: A+

A truly beautiful movie from Ireland. 

Thid movie is disarmingly simple. The storyline is quite basic and not that much actually happens. Yet within this simplicity there was a deep beauty that moved to tears when the film was over. It shows that sometimes you don't need a big stakes storyline or a complex plot to create a beautiful movie. Sometime all you need is a story about a little girl who goes to live with distant relatives. Sometimes a story like that can convey both great joy and great sadness. The mixture of joy and sadness is honestly a huge part of what makes this movie so effective. This is not your typical tearjerker or your typical feel good movie. Despite the simplicity of the story, this movie turns out to be something that transcends either of those types of films. This is because we simply get to experience a slice of life from our main character. We get to feel the joy of her bonding with her distant relatives and experiencing the love they give her. We also experience the coldness and lack of any comfort she gets from living with her parents and siblings. This movie does a great job of conveying the sheer difference between being a child who is loved and nurtured and being a child in a cold and distant home. This not only perfectly conveys an important message but also creates an incredibly emotional bond with the story. Helping very much is our main character. She is an incredibly likable and sweet girl and yet at the same time she never becomes too overly sweet to be unbelievable. This is helped greatly by an incredibly moving performance by child actress Catherine Clinch (amazingly enough in her first film). She brings such an effortless charm and humanity to this character that is simply wonderful. What also makes this movie work so well is its slower pace. This is the type of film that has no problem taking its time and has no need to rush from plot point to plot point. This is perfect for this type of movie, because it creates a more real and atmospheric feeling and allows us to feel that we are experiencing everything alongside our main character. This film is also not afraid to have stretches without much dialogue. This allows us to experience the type of quietly beautiful moments that say so much about than any dialogue ever could. Yet when this movie focuses on dialogue the type of dialogue differs from your typical movie dialogue to something much more naturalistic and down to earth. Sometimes the characters are having simple conversations which a lot about the story and characters without ever saying anything directly. 

This is simply a beautifully profound and moving movie, that needs to be seen by anyone who truly appreciates film as an artform.