Six Shooter (2004)

A black and bloody Irish comedy about a sad train journey where an older man, whose wife has died that morning, encounters a strange and possibly psychotic young oddball....

Director:

Martin McDonagh

Writer:

Martin McDonagh

Stars:

Brendan Gleeson, Rúaidhrí Conroy, David Wilmot

Won 1 Oscar. Another 5 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Brendan Gleeson	...	Donnelly
Rúaidhrí Conroy	...	Kid (as Ruaidhrí Conroy)
David Wilmot	...	Man
Aisling O'Sullivan	...	Woman
Gary Lydon	...	Chief Guard
Domhnall Gleeson	...	Cashier
David Murray	...	Doctor
Tadgh Conroy	...	Young Kid
David Pearse	...	Short Man
Ann McFarlane	...	Donnelly's Wife
John Wallace	...	Junior Garda
Richard Nisbet	...	Garda
Mick Horan	...	Kid's Dad

Storyline

At the hospital, a doctor gives Donnelly the bad news: his wife of many years has died. He visits her body, placing a photograph of their pet rabbit on her hands. Then, in the early morning light, he leaves and catches a train back home toward Dublin. He sits across from a young talkative man who seems to have a loose screw, making coarse observations, starting an argument with a couple in the next seats who are clearly tense with each other. Over the next few miles, Donnelly learns that all four have lost someone that night, and, in a strange turn of events, the kid bequeaths to Donnelly a gift that may ease his pain. There's a strange bond in grief.

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Plot Keywords:

grief | sadness | tragicomedy | train | photograph | 

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Taglines:

A black and bloody Irish comedy

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Genres:

Short | Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

The word 'fuck' and its derivatives are said 34 times in this 28-minute film, an average of 1.21 'fucks' per minute.

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Quotes

Donnelly: sorry about your mom.
Kid: Ah, no loss.

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Connections

Featured in 2005 Academy Award Nominated Short Films (2006)

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Soundtracks

St. James Infirmary Blues
Traditional, sometimes credited as written by Irving Mills (as Joe Primrose)
Published by EMI Music Publishing Ltd
Performed by The White Stripes
Usage courtesy of XL Recording/Beggars Banquet

User Reviews

Unusual, unpredictable 30 minute short

Your appreciation of SIX SHOOTER, a 30 minute Irish short by IN BRUGES director Martin McDonagh, largely depends on your tolerance for black comedy. I thought myself a fan of it, but after some of the subject matter played for laughs here - including cot death - I'm not so sure. Much of the material left me cold.

Looks-wise, it's certainly a professional production, pitched just right and utilising a moving train carriage as an effective backdrop to the ongoing events. Brendan Gleeson is as good as ever he's been playing Donnelly, a grieving husband encountering some decidedly odd situations on board what should be an uneventful train journey. Unfortunately, much of the film revolves around Ruaidhri Conroy's ne'er-do-well Kid, and I found him so unpleasant and repulsive that much of my enjoyment was taken away as a result.

Still, the acting is strong all around, the use of stark violence is effective and despite everything this feature comes away with a broad dash of Irish charm which works in its favour.

Details

Country:

UK Ireland

Language:

English

Release Date:

February 2005 (UK)

Also Known As:

Six Shooter

Filming Locations:

County Wexford, Ireland

Box Office

Budget:

GBP125,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

FilmFour, Screen Ireland, Missing in Action Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

27 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1