The Limit Of (2018) User Reviews

An good concept, a solid arthouse film

[tj-87797 · 6/10 · 8 July 2022]

This film is quite cool and stylistic but in a realistic way. It feels to me, that if the same script was on a bigger budget (I'm assuming this was a small budget) I feel it would draw a particular audience as it reminds me of other stylistic films that are shot in a beautiful way, almost like they are a sequence of still pictures, and then there is unusual sexual tension between the two main characters, who are a bit strange and don't say much, and don't ever tell what they are actually thinking - This is rare in movies today, as we are usually spoon fed.

Even though a big budget and known cast would work here as an arthouse film, I have to say that the cast give very real performances. I definitely will keep a look out for more from the actor who played the main character.

A good idea and a missed opportunity for a much better movie.

[freydis-e · 4/10 · 23 November 2018]

Despite another "review" here (left by the director) this film has been shown on Cinemax. Get more information on this by searching Cinemax plus the film title.

Writer-director-producer Alan Mulligan (making his first feature) promises 'a dark spiral of deceit, revenge and murder', but it's not really that. A Dublin banker with a sick mother perpetrates an implausible Robin Hood/revenge cyber-crime against his employer and quits his job. A colleague tries to blackmail him and he takes her prisoner. That's the whole plot, an interesting idea, but rather slight for a feature. I have never seen less convincing restraints on any prisoner, nor less effort made to escape them (i.e. None at all) but perhaps she doesn't want to. A lot of mutual staring goes on, which may be intended to suggest sexual tension.

The director describes his film as deliberate and slow-paced and that is spot on. There's not a whole lot of dialogue, but endless lingering shots, often of actors' faces showing nothing (or nothing I was able to identify). Every aspect of the situation is laced through with dramatic possibilities, but almost no passion is shown. The lead actor, on screen for almost all the film, shows us an unvarying, slightly plaintive, but almost blank expression. A film with so little dialogue needed better face-actors than these. The biggest problem was that I couldn't care about anyone. Their circumstances are dire enough, but this deadpan acting and these undeveloped personalities never began to engage my sympathy.

The direction is too slow. This clearly intelligent film-maker has ideas and good intentions, but isn't quite as clever as he thinks he is in realising them. There's promise here though, and I hope he gets another shot and learns from this. He's helped by some excellent cinematography. The framing of shots is the film's best feature. The script is fine, there's just not enough of it. The music fits well and the low budget never causes a problem.

I wouldn't suggest anyone pays to watch this, but it's far from awful and not over-long at less than 90 minutes. If it comes on TV, give it a shot. I've never been a big fan of the slow and subtle unless it's really really well-done. This isn't, but others may well enjoy/appreciate it more than I did.

Starts slow and pretentious but...holy moly

[gyalemon · 6/10 · 4 September 2022]

The film starts out like a sort of social/political commentary delivered through slow motion acting, sparse dialogue and somber music that's telling us that we are watching Art. Archetypes like the Evil corporation with the inevitable heartless manager and the dehumanized workers, whether they're adapting to the system or resisting it, are delivered heavy handedly enough that the film reaches dangerous levels of kitsch. Our male protagonist is taciturn and slightly woody and curiously unattracted to the beautiful and vulnerable female colleague who approaches him. But just as you're about to lose interest the film takes a violent and strongly erotic turn. There's no actual sex involved, yet the sexual tension between our protagonists is off the charts. Directors of erotic movies take note, *this* is how it's done. It's so exceedingly rare that the movie gets 2 extra stars.

A Slow Burner For Insomniacs

[daviddunn-90653 · 3/10 · 24 July 2022]

This is 90 minutes of my life I will never get back again. Stylishly made on a low budget, but there is little script, just a tediously slow film of very few words, strained looks and pregnant pauses.

Nothing much happens in what is a tedious and utterly depressing film that may send insomniacs into a deep sleep.

One to avoid.

Interestingly strange with a payoff

[johnadam-39380 · 7/10 · 7 July 2022]

A slow burn film, so people who prefer faster paced films, it might not be for them. The slow pace is definitely deliberate, as the style remains the same throughout the film. I wouldn't describe it as a thriller, more of a drama with some thriller aspects. The performances are strong. I liked the leads but in particular the girl who played the home nurse was wonderful to watch. The film looks great, it makes Dublin city look like a European capital city. Being from Dublin, this was nice to see in a movie.

Pretentious direction leads to this being worse than could have been!

[gsethi-1 · 4/10 · 27 June 2022]

Terrible execution of what could have been a decent story. The director seems like a novice practising for an Oscar and just ends up looking pretentious! Infuriating delivery of lines, unreal reactions to what's just been said, bad pacing all round makes this a missable one!

First review

[davidorr-22026 · 8 April 2019]

I felt compelled to review this. The marketing team behind this are very clever. Walked into a cinema of twenty to thirty people. I got a refund half way through the film. Abysmal in every aspect.

Made by an ex banker who should have stuck to being a banker. I support Irish film but I am furious I wasted my time.

a film that takes a while to get no where

[LetsReviewThat26 · 4/10 · 7 July 2022]

Being listed as a thriller was wrong. Of course this movie is a drama. It was slow and the interactions between characters was just boring. The acting was good at least and there was some ok parts near the end when it got going. But really it was just a depressing drama that is realistic but I wish it could have been better.

Pretty pointless

[g-hbe · 3/10 · 18 March 2023]

We like quirky slow burners, but this one spent too long meandering about and never really lit the fuse. In the opening scene we see a woman masturbating, for what reason I don't know, as it seemed completely disconnected from the rest of the story. Then for the next 90 minutes we get Laurence O'Fuarain trying to speak his lines without moving his lips, which made following the plot very difficult. In the end, the loans are paid out without any particular drama and the credits roll. We survived until the end, but it felt like a chore than an enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours. Sorry, it's a 3 from me.

Great performance

[higginsjoarrives · 8/10 · 4 July 2022]

I liked this movie's storyline and the tension between the two main characters. It starts slow but I found myself becoming intrigued by the main character. He never explains himself or his actions, but yet I understood him and could relate in ways. Loved the sexual chemistry. Wish there was more of that. Good film. I would recommend.

A 35,000 euro budget! Loved it.

[lindabrennan-92124 · 8/10 · 24 July 2022]

I watched this movie over the weekend and some of the scenes really stuck with me so I searched for a bit more information on it. I knew it wasn't a film made for millions, but reading that it was made for 35,000 is amazing. Really puts it in perspective. It isn't even a salary for one person, nevermind a whole crew and cast. The film visually looks like it belongs on the netflix platform. Granted in some scenes the budget shows both visually and in the storyline. The actors are compelling and I'm sure the two leads could be stars in the future, plus the nurse. The storyline is more a character study in ways, following the lead actor through an emotional time in his life which he processes very much internally. This makes for a slow burn slow but layered. The soundtrack is out of this world. This singer has been a new find for me. For a movie in the grand scale it is an interesting watch, but for a 35,000 euro movie it is a 10 out of 10 for me. There are a few scenes in the movie (and songs) that really stick with you.