A Bend in the River (2020) User Reviews

Short review to not waste your time on this movie.

[kelpe1925 · 4/10 · 4 October 2021]

A writer runs away from Ireland, leaving his girlfriend behind because he got beat by a school teacher 30+ years in the past and cant get over it.

Trying to write a new book after 10 years, he goes back and cheats on his wife with a stranger and wrecks his ex grilfriends life once more by coming back into her life and leaving once more. He says a bunch of things that dont make any sense in the context of the story, but he gets his book idea and then runs away again.

The end.

SO DISAPPOINTING

[awaywithwords-634-244667 · 4/10 · 1 April 2024]

He ran away again, back to America. Why do losers always end up in the USA? What a waste of viewing time. Good acting, Beautiful photography. Lyrical voice over. Interesting sound track. Fascinating atmospherics. My family is Irish and I have visited at least once a year for most of my life. I feel at home, and more myself than anywhere else. I often wondered why the Irish were so scathing of Irish- Americans. The explanation " They come searching for their roots. Pity they didn't stay and keep them " Well, this is a story of another one who took the easy way out and still isn't satisfied. His brother, the priest, may not be a writer, but he is the real hero.

Pretty shetty

[diedaily77 · 3/10 · 6 October 2021]

Hate to give bad reviews, and when I do I feel like I should distinguish between the badly acted and the badly written. This one was just badly written. The actors did okay with what they had to work with. The soundtrack was not terrible. The camera work didn't suck. It's just that writing. I seemed like it was written by a guilt-ridden person, which is fine, if there is something interesting about what lead to that guilt. Which, I'm sorry, there wasn't.

Do not watch if you are depressed

[sharon111 · 3/10 · 30 December 2022]

This is one of those movies that is just so depressing like the weather in the movie. He returns home after his mother's passing, from the US. He has writers block of course, runs into old girlfriend, gets threatened by exes' husband and then runs away.

The story has no story, no details of his life in the US, only he talks to someone occasionally via phone.

I finished watching due to the bad reviews and wanting to know why. It was bad and can understand the reviews. It could have been a decent movie if a background had been created and a story was created for the few characters. Would a suggest this to anyone, no.

Breaking from the poor reviews

[wisewebwoman · 8/10 · 22 June 2023]

What struck me most about this film was the poetic writing. We are given an insight into the author's soul which is in direct contrast with the outer man who's in therapy, has sporadic contact with his wife and child in New York after deciding to return to the troubled Ulster of his childhood and teenage years.

This film wouldn't be for everyone by a long shot. His declared enemy, the husband of the girlfriend he abandoned when he fled Ireland, is a little overdrawn, gun in hand, casually shooting a stray dog to show us how tough he is and threatening yer man, the author. The sinister dark threatening character of countless films breaking into homes and bedrooms (without a sound or a broken door or window!) and sitting by beds waiting for his victim to wake up.

But the language is beautiful and the scenery spectacular and the main character was engaging even though dislikable, a hard role to perform.

He lays his ghosts to rest finally though the resolution was a little speedy and underdeveloped.

8/10, worth the watch if you're into this kind of film. The strife in the North is a backdrop to his inner strife.