The Eclipse (2009)

In a seaside Irish town, a widower sparks with a visiting horror novelist while he also begins to believe he is seeing ghosts.

Director:

Conor McPherson

Writers:

Conor McPherson (screenplay), Billy Roche (story)

Stars:

Billy Roche, Ciarán Hinds, Aidan Quinn

5 wins & 9 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Billy Roche	...	Jim Belton
Eanna Hardwicke	...	Thomas Farr
Hannah Lynch	...	Sarah Farr
Ciarán Hinds	...	Michael Farr
Mac	...	Ringo the Dog
Avian Egan	...	Eleanor Farr
Aidan Quinn	...	Nicholas Holden
Hilary O'Shaughnessy	...	TV Interviewer
Jim Norton	...	Malachy
Nuala Casey De Backer	...	Festival Organiser
Sarah Murphy	...	Festival Volunteer
Iben Hjejle	...	Lena Morrell
Mia Quinn	...	Ghost Girl
Declan Nash	...	Man in Hotel Bar
Valerie Spelman	...	Jenny Sewell

Storyline

In a seaside Irish town, a widower sparks with a visiting horror novelist while he also begins to believe he is seeing ghosts.

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Plot Keywords:

irish | widower | ghost | novelist | fistfight | 

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Taglines:

If there is life after death - love lives on

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Genres:

Drama | Horror | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and some disturbing images

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

Ireland

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 April 2010 (Australia)

Also Known As:

Oliki ekleipsi

Filming Locations:

Cobh, County Cork, Ireland

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$13,207 (USA) (26 March 2010)

Gross:

$128,937 (USA) (11 June 2010)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Treasure Entertainment, Radio Telefís Éireann (RTÉ), Broadcasting Commission of Ireland

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min 86 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

User Reviews

Suspenseful domestic drama in the guise of a ghost story

This chilling and thoughtful thriller from top Irish playwright McPherson exemplifies what movie makers who've earned their chops on the stage can bring to the big screen. The characters are three-dimensional; sharp, efficient dialog defines the relationships and moves the plot forward; life in a recently bereaved family, a small Irish town, and a literary festival is acutely observed.

The Eclipse maintains a spooky tension throughout and in a few instances will have you jumping out of your skin. (One minor criticism: Loud incidental music is constantly deployed to manipulate viewers, a perennial flaw of many mystery and horror films.) However, this is not a traditional ghost story but a psychological drama filtered through the perspective of the widowed father masterfully portrayed by Ciaran Hinds. It's probably not too much of a stretch to compare The Eclipse to In Bruges, the debut film of Martin McDonagh, another acclaimed U.K. dramatist, in the way it exploits the conventions of genre even as it defies formula to tell a more original, gratifying story.

A bonus: The cathedral-dominated town of Cobh, Cork County, provides a stunningly picturesque backdrop to The Eclipse, while adding to the overall isolated, claustrophobic atmosphere.