Nora (2000)

Director:

Pat Murphy

Writers:

Brenda Maddox (book)
Pat Murphy
(more)

Release Date:

21 April 2000 (Ireland)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

In 1904, in Dublin, James Joyce chats up Nora Barnacle, a hotel maid recently come from Galway. She enchants him with her frank...

Plot Keywords:

Trieste | Italy | Phobia | Muse | Poverty

Awards:

3 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Susan Lynch	...	Nora Barnacle
Andrew Scott	...	Michael Bodkin
Vinnie McCabe	...	Uncle Tommy (as Vincent McCabe)
Veronica Duffy	...	Annie Barnacle
Ewan McGregor	...	James Joyce
Aedin Moloney	...	Eva Joyce
Pauline McLynn	...	Miss Kennedy
Neilí Conroy	...	Maid
Darragh Kelly	...	Cosgrave
Alan Devine	...	Gogarty
Peter McDonald	...	Stanislaus Joyce
Paul Hickey	...	Curran
Kate O'Toole	...	Miss Delahunty
Martin Murphy	...	George Russell
Karl Scully	...	John McCormack
Frances Burke	...	Old Woman
Roberto Citran	...	Roberto Prezioso
Monica Scattini	...	Amalia Globocnik
Adrian McCourt	...	Eyers
Ignazio Oliva	...	Alessandro Francini
Stefania Montorsi	...	Clothilde Francini Bruni
Carla Cassola	...	Signora Canarutto
Stefania Orsola Garello	...	Signorina Canarutto
Sile Nugent	...	Maid 2
Franco Trevisi	...	Tullio Sylvestri
Eamonn Hunt	...	George Roberts
Manuel Bragato	...	Baby Giorgio
Liam McCourt	...	Giorgio Age 2
Odin O'Sullivan	...	Giorgio Age 2
Dylan Mooney	...	Giorgio Age 4
Ben Harding	...	Giorgio Age 6
Robin Mooney	...	Lucia Age 2
Lauren Mulhal	...	Lucia Age 4
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Arnoldo Foà	...	Sig. Canarutto

Directed by
Pat Murphy

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Brenda Maddox		book
Pat Murphy
Gerard Stembridge

Produced by
Bradley Adams	....	producer
Damon Bryant	....	producer
Guy Collins	....	executive producer
Ulrich Felsberg	....	co-producer
James Flynn	....	co-producer
Sara Giles	....	associate producer
Tiernan MacBride	....	producer: Volta Films
Ewan McGregor	....	co-producer
Gherardo Pagliei	....	co-producer
Tracey Seaward	....	producer

Original Music by
Stanislas Syrewicz

Cinematography by
Jean-François Robin

Film Editing by
Pia Di Ciaula

Casting by
Frank Moiselle
Nuala Moiselle
Shaila Rubin

Production Design by
Alan MacDonald

Art Direction by
Stefano Maria Ortolani
Terry Pritchard		(supervising art director)

Set Decoration by
Alessandra Querzola

Costume Design by
Consolata Boyle

Makeup Department
Loretta Alston	....	key hair stylist
Orla Carrol	....	key hair stylist
Joan Giacomin	....	assistant makeup artist
Roisin O'Reilly	....	assistant makeup artist
Maire O'Sullivan	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Andrea Borella	....	production supervisor
John Cesaroni	....	unit manager
Marco Giacalone	....	unit manager
Des Martin	....	production manager
Albert Schwinges	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Gilles Cannatella	....	second second assistant director
Jill Dempsey	....	assistant director
Tommy Gormley	....	assistant director
Sean Griffin	....	trainee assistant director
Lars Henning	....	assistant director
Eoin Holohan	....	trainee assistant director
Lisa Kelly	....	assistant director
Ray Kenny	....	trainee assistant director
Sarah Purser	....	assistant director
Fiona Spillard	....	third assistant director: Italy
Bojana Sutic	....	assistant director

Art Department
Daniel Bacciu	....	props: Italy
Stephen Daly	....	assistant art director
Tommaso Dubla	....	painter
Mick Flood	....	property master
Darren Kearney	....	painter
Dave Kinsella	....	stand-by props
Tamara Marini	....	assistant art director
Gary McGinty	....	draftsperson

Sound Department
Nick Adams	....	supervising sound editor
Gordon Brown	....	dialogue adr editor
Stuart Hilliker	....	assistant sound re-recording mixer
Alex Hudd	....	sound consultant: dolby
Peter Lindsay	....	production sound mixer
Ulrike Münch	....	assistant sound editor
Adrian Rhodes	....	sound re-recording mixer
Peter Gleaves	....	adr mixer (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Hani AlYousif	....	digital effects artist: Mill Film London
Nicholas Atkinson	....	visual effects editor: Mill Film London
Karl Mooney	....	digital effects supervisor: Mill Film London
Dominic Sidoli	....	visual effects coordinator: Mill Film London

Stunts
Blaise Corrigan	....	stunts
Stephanie Finochio	....	stunts
Philippe Zone	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Ciarán Barry	....	director of photography: second unit
Alan Butler	....	focus puller: second unit
John Conroy	....	assistant camera
John Conroy	....	focus puller
Richie Egan	....	grip: Italy Unit
James J. Ferris	....	electrician
David Grennan	....	clapper loader: second unit
John Higgins	....	supervising gaffer
Malcolm Huse	....	key grip
Davie Mayes	....	generator operator: Ireland
Vince McGahon	....	Steadicam operator
James McGuire	....	gaffer: Ireland
Philip McKeon	....	assistant camera
Eoin O'Hagan	....	best boy: Ireland
Roger Tooley	....	Steadicam operator
Graeme Haughton	....	electrician (uncredited)
Dracey Jobbins	....	grip (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Catherine Buyse Dian	....	wardrobe co-supervisor: Italy (uncredited)

Editorial Department
James Lingard	....	first assistant editor

Music Department
Narodowa Orkiestra Symfoniczna Polskiego Radia w Katowicach	....	orchestra (as The Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra)
Tadeusz Wicherek	....	conductor

Other crew
Beatrice Arweiler	....	location manager
Elisabetta Bartolomei	....	production coordinator: Italy
Carmela Compagnone	....	payroll accountant
Rose-Marie Couture	....	production assistant
Julia Jones	....	unit publicist
Paddy McCarney	....	location manager
Richard Morrison	....	title designer
Rizia Ortolani	....	location manager
Lisa Parker	....	production coordinator
Maurizio Pigna	....	location manager
Seamus Porter	....	location assistant
Sephira Salazar	....	assistant to producer
Edmund Sampson	....	assistant location manager
Laerke Sigfred Pedersen	....	script supervisor
Susanne Steube	....	production coordinator
Dean Wares	....	title typography

Thanks
Tiernan MacBride	....	in memoriam

Production Companies

• GAM
• Natural Nylon Entertainment
• Road Movies Filmproduktion
• Volta Films

Distributors

• Advanced (2000) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Andora Pictures International (2001) (USA) (theatrical)
• Manga Films (2001) (Spain) (theatrical)
• EuroVideo (2003) (Germany) (DVD)
• First Look Pictures (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Momentum Pictures Home Entertainment (2002) (UK) (DVD)
• Scanbox Entertainment (2001) (Finland) (DVD)
• Sherlock Media S.L. (Spain)

Other Companies

• Film Finances  completion guarantor
• Sylvia Wheeler Film Services  negative cutting

Also Known As:

"Nora Joyce" - Japan (English title) (imdb display title)

MPAA:

Rated R for some strong sexuality and related dialogue

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

Ireland | UK | Italy | Germany

Language:

English | Italian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Finland:K-15 | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Iceland:12 | Australia:MA (cable rating) | Germany:12 (w) | New Zealand:M | Spain:13 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland

Company:

GAM

Quotes:

James Joyce:You are my only love.

Movie Connections:

Features The Colleen Bawn (1911/I)

A torrent of emotion, wonderfully presented

How one views this film will depend in part on how much of a Joyce devotee the viewer is. As is the case with any film based on the life of a larger-than-life figure, the film will be largely viewed by those who have an avid interest in James Joyce. These viewers will judge the film with a much more discerning eye. The fact that Joyce's work does not have mass appeal and is devoured by a small but fervent group of literary intellectuals makes the scrutiny that much more intense. For this audience, the film will have numerous unbearable flaws and inaccuracies.

However, for the audience of non aficionados, this film has a great deal to recommend itself, providing that the viewer loves good drama and has the patience to endure its methodical pacing. The story is a powerful love story with shearing forces that bring emotional torrent to the relationship. In it we find the high minded writer, James Joyce, obsessed with Nora, the coarse and illiterate chamber maid whose practical wisdom and unfettered sexuality provide the ideal compliment and the perfect wedge. These two are helpless moths being consumed by a bonfire of ardor built on differences that are as irreconcilable as they are essential to each of their souls. Given this premise, we have the underpinnings of great theater.

Despite the disappointment of many Joyce fans regarding this treatment, the film is really not about James Joyce, it is about the relationship. Thankfully, director Pat Murphy didn't lose sight of that fact and succumb to the temptation to mollify Joyce fans by making this a Joyce-centric film. Murphy patiently peels away the layers of each character and casts each revelation on the relationship like kerosene on a house fire. The deeper we get into the characters, the more complex and hopeless the relationship becomes, and paradoxically, the more inextricably entwined its participants.

Murphy's direction is excellent on all fronts. The cinematography is incredible with awe inspiring locations and a wonderfully rich sepia quality that enhances the period renderings. The look and feel the period is well done. The early 20th century costumes, furniture, sets and props are precise and breathe life and realism into each scene.

The acting is superb. Ewan McGregor practically rips himself to shreds playing the mercurial Joyce, jovial and charming one minute, paranoid, brooding and insanely jealous the next. However, poor Ewan once again has a terrific performance upstaged by his co-star Susan Lynch (See Nicole Kidman and "Moulin Rouge!").

Despite lacking the classic features of a leading lady, Lynch's physiognomy is a perfect match for the earthy Nora. Lynch can flat out act. This lady has a five octave emotional range with the force of Caribbean hurricane. If there weren't a single other reason to see this film, her performance would be enough.

I am glad that I happened on to this film buried in the stacks at the video store. I rated it a 9/10. It isn't for everyone, but for those who can appreciate a fatalistic love story with steamy sexual content, constant emotional tension, great acting and insightful directing; this will be a disturbing, but worthwhile experience.