Park (1999) User Reviews

A promising start and a revelation Des!

[johnhurley-1 · 6/10 · 29 March 2004]

It's a long time since I saw it and I think that I may have started watching it because Des Nealon (not normally my favourite actor. He takes a lot of window dressing roles (guard, priest etc.) seemed to be cast against type. He was actually one of the main characters and does a great job (creepy!).

It's not a big-budget movie (certainly as far as locations are concerned).

In fact, it's a very simple film but the story has a great tension throughout. It's not surprising that the writers went on to write award winning dramas thereafter.

I would describe this film, therefore, as a promising start for the Carney/Hall partnership and as a revelation as far as Des Nealon's acting goes.

Where can I get a copy of it or watch it again?

[bluelive-91177 · 6/10 · 1 December 2020]

Hi Where can I get a copy of it or watch it again? Please help. Thank u very much Mike

Overwrought and pointless

[lexo1770 · 2/10 · 11 January 2008]

Park is indeed a memorably bad film. The acting is inexplicably over the top, the story is tortuous and hard to work out, and the point seems to be that a girl was sexually abused, although there are so many weird abstract movie-making things going on that you can't really tell. There's a lot of people looking out of windows with melancholy expressions, and a creepy park-keeper (Des Nealon, a wonderful stage actor) getting all hot and heavy about a cute teenage girl, who herself spends much of the film looking glum and/or resigned to the fact that she's in a turkey.

But what's strangest of all about it is that the director, John Carney, went on to make 'Once', the award-winning, effortlessly assured sort-of-love story about the Irish busker and the Czech street vendor. It's a lesson to us all - no matter how bad a movie you make early on, it doesn't mean you won't go on to make a gem later.

so bad it's good

[Michael Stamp · 9/10 · 2 November 2001]

This film is one of the worst I've ever seen but I've given it a 9. Why?

Like the 1 line summary says this film is so dreadful it's fantastic. The acting is abysmal. The dialogue is even worse but the wooden acting and cheesy mood music are what make this film such a hoot. I highly recommend it for any fan of dreadful films.

Why

[mccormack_miceal · 10 November 2003]

To the makers,

The movie on the whole wasn't the worst I've ever seen. & I worry about someone who calls the movie "a hoot".

Ultimately, this is a typical Irish movie of type. Movies in this country are easily divided into Hollywood/France.

The reason I said "why" at the start is this: If you are going to attempt a continental style, why bombard us with Polanski's 'Repulsion' to begin with?

Do you think the audience is dumb?

Do you feel we should react in the same way you do to what transpires?

Do you (writer/director) have a personal problem with the subject matter?

Ultimately, I would view this movie as pointless. & thats saying something. I've just seen the Texas Chainsaw Massacre 'remake'.

Yours, wondering why money was wasted,

M