Reżyseria:
Damien O'DonnellScenariusz:
Jeffrey CaineZdjęcia:
Peter RobertsonMuzyka:
David JulyanObsada:
James McAvoy, Steven Robertson, Romola Garai, Brenda Fricker, Gerard McSorley, Pat Shortt, Stanley Townsend, Tom Hickey, Frank McCusker, Michèle Forbes (więcej)Opisy(1)
Two guys facing more challenges than most people learn some valuable lessons about life and love in this comedy drama. Michael Connolly (Steven Robertson) is a young man in his early twenties who suffers from cerebral palsy; confined to a wheelchair, Michael's speech is unintelligible to all but a handful of people, and his situation has made him shy and withdrawn as he spends his days at a home for the disabled in Dublin. One day, a new arrival moves in at the home -- Rory O'Shea (James McAvoy), a lad about Michael's age who suffers from muscular dystrophy and can only use two fingers on one hand. This, however, hasn't stopped Rory from developing a sharp tongue, a quick wit, a taste for alcohol, and the courage to put the moves on any women who crosses his path. Rory can also understand Michael's attempts at speech, and Rory puts his outsized personality to work encouraging his new friend to become more outgoing and not to let life pass him by, despite his handicaps. In time, Rory and Michael are able to convince Eileen (Brenda Fricker), director of the home, that they should be allowed to get an apartment on their own, and the boys use their stipend to rent a flat and hire an assistant to help with the tasks they can't manage. Rory chooses Siobhan (Romola Garai) for the job, mainly because she's blonde and pretty, and she soon becomes attracted to him; unfortunately, Michael has fallen in love with her, and this leads to a major rift between him and Rory that drives them apart. (oficjalny tekst dystrybutora)
(więcej)Recenzje (3)
I’m not particularly against films whose main intention is to touch the viewer or make them cry, but doing it as artificially as this one is not something you see every day. It failed to work on me, though. Rory, the protagonist, is borderline unlikeable, and I would also have welcomed a slightly more realistic perspective on the lives of handicapped people. If those two or three main characters were put in a realistically functioning world, things would work out a lot better for them, methinks – and at least that shallow attempt at getting the audience’s tears wouldn’t be so obvious. 70%
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I can't help but think that although the film is nicely made and carries a very resonant message, that everyone should live to the fullest in spite of their fate, this time the filmmakers went a bit overboard with the self-awareness and pathos. While I enjoy films that try to move the viewer, in some cases a lot, here I just didn't like anything, I couldn't get into the story and, above all, the main characters weren't nearly as likeable as they probably deserved. It seemed as if everyone around me was contemplating life out loud and crying on each other's shoulder, while I stood there, with words somehow passing me by, thinking more about when I would be able to leave. What I can't deny is that all the actors played their roles excellently and that in the end the aura of friendship and determination broke through the coldness and detachment I felt in the beginning. I considered 4 stars, but this is not that exceptional filmmaking.
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One of the most impressive films I've seen recently. And no wonder! Something so powerfully emotional simply comes from one of the best (even the best) productions, British. I've always said that the Brits can combine a lot of things at once without letting it become a cluttered mess. The story of two physically disabled young men who, even though they can't walk, are trying to live their lives. Lives in which they don't want to follow unnecessarily restrictive rules. Rory is a truly peculiar character who is a great match for the "uptight" Michael, whose whole world is turned upside down. They live their lives without rules, but everyone knows that this is impossible even under the best of circumstances. As far as the cast goes, I applaud, and I applaud a lot. Both James McAvoy and Steven Robertson really inhabited the roles and were more than convincing. And Romola Garai was nice she was no hysterical cow. The plot, as I said, is compelling and strong and was handled superbly. And the music was truly a feast for the ears, especially the opening and closing tracks. In short, another product of British elegance that impressed me in every way, didn't annoy me with unnecessary nonsense and didn't bore me at all.
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