The Disappearance of Finbar (1996)

Finbar and Danny are close childhood friends who live in a depressing neighbourhood in an Irish town. Finbar gets the chance to play soccer in an international soccer team abroad but can't ... See full summary »

Director:

Sue Clayton

Writers:

Dermot Bolger, Sue Clayton,

Stars:

Luke Griffin, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Sean Lawlor

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Luke Griffin	...	Danny Quinn
Jonathan Rhys Meyers	...	Finbar Flynn
Sean Lawlor	...	Michael Flynn
Chris Meehan	...	Roscommon Cowboy
Toner Quinn	...	Roscommon Cowboy
Phil Calley	...	Roscommon Cowboy
Fran McPhail	...	Roscommon Cowbow
Pete Cummins	...	Roscommon Cowboy
Pat Henry	...	Roscommon Cowboy
Gerard Cullen	...	Roscommon Cowboy
Jake Williams	...	Young Finbar
Robert Hickey	...	Young Danny
Eleanor Methven	...	Pat Flynn
Marie Mullen	...	Ellen Quinn
Don Foley	...	Grandpa Quinn

Storyline

Finbar and Danny are close childhood friends who live in a depressing neighbourhood in an Irish town. Finbar gets the chance to play soccer in an international soccer team abroad but can't use it and comes back. He went as a hero and came back as loser. Even the relation to Danny gets worse. In an act of desperation he jumps from a bridge and just disappears. After years of missing Finbar, he calls Danny from Sweden and Danny follows this call disappearing from this neighbourhood, too. In an odyssey, Danny travels from Stockholm to the far north of Sweden, to Lappland, looking for Finbar. Up there, he does not only meet Finbar but also very nice people and the lovely Abbi. But the friendship to Finbar has changed and their lives evantually separate.

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Plot Keywords:

sweden | friendship | runaway | dublin ireland | missing person | 

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery

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Details

Country:

Ireland Sweden UK

Language:

English Finnish Mandarin Swedish

Release Date:

17 March 2000 (USA)

Also Known As:

Auf der Suche nach Finbar

Filming Locations:

Stockholm, Stockholms län, Sweden

Company Credits

Production Co:

Victoria Film, Channel 4 Television Corporation, First City Features Ltd.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Ms. Byrne: I used to think you had promise Master Flynn, now I've changed my mind
Finbar Flynn: Fine!
[picks up his things and leaves]

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Soundtracks

"Iitin Tiltu"
Finnish traditional, arranged by Pedro Hietanen
Performed by Pedro's Heavy Gentlemen

User Reviews

Amateurish mish-mash but not without its charms

A real oddity, this mixed bag of a film. The early establishing scenes are so ineptly handled, and so protracted, yet the film suddenly springs into life in the second half, when we get across to Finland. Here we have some stunning scenery and an interesting look at a part of the world that doesn't often appear on the cinema screen. Even here it falters occasionally, in that the main story is all but forgotten in what amounts to little more than a quirky travelogue. If the opening half had been a little more engaging, then the ensuing developments would have had far more power. As it stands, we are left with a film not devoid of charm. The humorous moments seem a little forced and not always successful, and the overall impression is of the amateurishness of the entire enterprise. Shame, because there was a lot of scope here.