Afternoon:
8°c
Charlotte O'Sullivan's rating
Nashville comes to Ireland
By
Charlotte O'Sullivan
6 Sep 2007
Bill and Doug - the two fortysomething friends at the heart of Niall Heery's debut feature - are damaged nobodies who find solace in country-and-western songs. They are lonely men desperate to escape the Irish backwoods they call home, but terrified that the big wide world might inflict even more pain. Then their old pal Burley gets out of jail and the pain really sets in.
Heery has likened the film to a country song, and it takes him a while to establish its rhythms. Yet by the time the shambolic Doug gets up the courage to perform at his local bar, you're hooked - he's singing about his wife, in the audience with her new lover.
Iain Glen and Steven Mackintosh are fine as the awkward best buddies but it's actually the lesser-known Irish stars - including Stuart Graham as the embittered Burley - who makes best sense of the teasing script. Is it foolish of the men in this community to venerate Nashville and its gold-plated cowboy blues? Or have they found a genuine moral compass with which to navigate the world?
Heery loves and respects his characters; it's easy to love and respect them back.
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
