Bring Them Down

Sheep sheep lots of sheep sheep those who are stealers of sheep and those who mutilate sheep for monetary benefit believe it or not and a story of a family who has taken care of sheep for 500 years I guess a movie with good actors playing okay here I am Debbie Downer playing dumb roles dumb characters who basically do dumb things and seem to have no ability to make any good decisions nobody in the whole movie makes really a good decision or they make a half baked one and then go to do what they plan but don't really do what they thought they were going to do sounds like real life but this is not like real life it's just kooky and it ends kooky and the protagonist who isn't a bad feller gets the raw end of the sheep I mean of the stick okay of the sheep it's not really a good movie I endured it but I would not recommend it because it goes round and round and ends up as movies seem to do these days nowhere it's a story that didn't need to be told or made into a movie it's quite dissatisfying and if anyone says it's good or worth watching don't believe it don't believe it baaaaa baaaaaaaa baaaa.

One of the more infuriating films I've seen recently.

Christopher Abbott as Michael was entirely too nice, timid, and meager. The story itself was disjointed. Barry Keoghan as Jack was believable enough, but still didn't push the line of ferocity I would've thought we'd see. Neither characters seemed to have much spine. Even in the scenes they were at each other, it wasn't believable. Nor did it feel appropriate that any of Jack's family was so vehemently against Michael and his father.

Abbott and Keoghan played their part, but I'd argue they didn't go as beyond as they could have, and that caused the film to fall remarkably short.

Michael's actions for the most part didn't make a lot of sense. The end was beyond disappointing.

It's a conflict drama between neighboring Irish sheep farmers based on faulty talking, faulty listening, and quick tempers. Michael O'Shea (Christopher Abbott) lives with his bitter, disabled father, Ray (Colm Meaney). Before the titles, we learn that 20 years before, Michael recklessly drove a car into an accident that killed his mother, who had just told Michael she was leaving his father, and seriously injured his girlfriend, Caroline (Nora-Jane Noone). Caroline eventually married the next-door farmer, Gary (Paul Ready), and they had a son, now an older teenager, Jack (Barry Keoghan).

Events unfold in escalating hostility between the neighbors, though Caroline tries to maintain the peace. The film's first half tells the story from Michael's perspective; the second half is more from Jack's perspective. When seen together, we learn that accusations based on faulty assumptions and distorted memories lead to increasing violence. The film ends when things have gone too far.

"Bring Them Down" has a double meaning--bringing the sheep down from the hills in winter and bringing down the evil neighbor. The non-linear nature of the story demands focused attention throughout but is rewarding. Abbott, Keoghan, and Noone are excellent. Meaney is memorable but a bit clichéd.

Bring Them Down: A savage tale of feuding hill farmers, sheep stoen, sheep mutilated, just their legs cut off to be sold. All tied in with a car crash which took place twenty years before but the consequences of which still impinge on pent day events. This was advertised as being partially a comedy but the few comedic moments are bleak and the laughter will likely choke in yiur throat. Not just animals but humans also suffer terrible deaths and injuries. In the second half of the film some of the events we have already observed are revisited and we achieve a clearer understanding of what is really going on. Non-linear narratives often enhance a film but I don't believe it does so in this instance. Good performances from Barry Keoghan, Colm Meaney, Christopher Abbot, Paul Ready and Nora-Jane Noone even if Keoghan is getting a bit long on the tooth to be playing a teenager. Maybe an Irish Hatfields & McCoys or a Beckettian Bog Western. Written and Directed by Christopher Andrews. 7/10.

69TH CORK FILM FEST - #3 (PREMIERE + Q&A)

A fast-paced revenge film that never has a dull moment that somehow manages to pull of the impossible, in my opinion. The entire cast do a fantastic job, but the standout would have to be Nora-Jane Murphy, Barry Keoghan and Christopher Abbot (who's accent is unreal for an American). Both do so much more with their respective roles than anyone else. The themes of abuse, violence and the inability to properly communicate are very welded in here. They are also very current in our world at the moment, so they really spoke to me. I'm very excited to revisit this one on general release.