Of the five short films contending for this year's Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film, this is the only one in English. Even so, it was the only one I had a hard time understanding the dialog, as the others all had captioning, while this one was heavy on the Irish brogue. Nevertheless, it was apparent that a pair of estranged brothers had reunited upon the death of their mother, with Lorcan (James Martin), having Downs Syndrome, testily arguing with brother Turlough (Seamus O'Hara) over the fate of the family farm, which Turlough wants to sell. It's where Lorcan lives, so you can understand his reluctance. An effusive Father O'Shea (paddy Jenkins) tries to mediate between the brothers with mixed results, while Lorcan runs through a list of a hundred things his mom wanted to do before she died. All the while, Lorcan protectively hugs the cremation urn their mother's ashes are in, even wielding it as the pair work through a pattern of tai chi. In a semi-climax, Lorcan drops the urn from a considerable height with the ashes spilling out, as Turlough places a 'For Sale' sign on the family homestead shortly after. The film elicits mixed emotions, though the humor and affection between the brothers shines through their relentless bickering.
This Irish film is a contender for a 2023 Oscar in the category of Best Live Action Short Films. I was lucky enough to catch this short along with the four other contenders for this year's Academy Award at the Paramount Theater in Middletown, New York. If not for this limited showing, I don't know how else I would have been able to see it. So, Congratulations to the Paramount for making it available to enthusiastic cinema fans like me.
This Irish film is a contender for a 2023 Oscar in the category of Best Live Action Short Films. I was lucky enough to catch this short along with the four other contenders for this year's Academy Award at the Paramount Theater in Middletown, New York. If not for this limited showing, I don't know how else I would have been able to see it. So, Congratulations to the Paramount for making it available to enthusiastic cinema fans like me.