Ireland is a bittersweet island. Genuinely funny everyday craic is salted with the sadness of unresolved issues from the past and the present. This film captures the nature and depth beautifully. A dispute with no real cause reflects the confusion of the Irish Civil War going on in the background. The policeman the priest and the old woman each demonstrate their power over the village life, as the bleakness of life in the west unsoftened by the beauty of the scenery. Poverty, boredom and a tiny island population all push people together, compatible or not. The story captures all of this with an understanding of the Irish use of English, the wit and tension of the bar where the drink can result in laughter or a right hook, and the sadness of women who live for the local news and not much more.
All round a superb thought provoking film about an Ireland that few not native understand .
All round a superb thought provoking film about an Ireland that few not native understand .