The film follows the story of Padraic - a not-so-bright, 'dull' kind of guy trying to make up with his best and only true friend. After the very soulmate suddenly stopped talking and wanted nothing to do with him.
At first, it seemed like a simple, perhaps, boring idea for a film. However, being set on an island off the west coast of Ireland where a war is taking place, makes this such an interesting "phenomenon" to observe. Especially, when the mentioned island is full of unexcited people and their not-so-exciting lives. Well, at least that's what the story was until it took a rather dark turn and changed the lives of multiple individuals forever.
First of all, I especially love the way the film started slowly and just took its time to get you to learn about several involved characters. It let you have a peek at their likeability and relatability, made you feel like rooting for them and hoping for a happily-ever-after ending. Then, out of nowhere, the fairy tale collapsed.
For me, this is a story about dreams and isolation, which are differently perceived and approached by every human being. And how that story was told by following several key characters' narratives is what made it so memorable.
***POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT*** Let's talk about dreams. In this film, those are what one character tried to achieve, lost all their hope for, and then "Well, there does that dream". Others made some understandably ruthless choices, while some is more merciful the other. They both got what they wanted in the end. Then there's another character, the one who "didn't dream" until he realized he needed to. Therefore, he tried so hard, and he failed. But instead of letting go, that guy became a completely different person, a broken one. Having said that, I believe it wasn't just dream-chasing that broke a man, it was also the effect of another factor or, in this case, constant lonesomeness.
And that brings up my next point, loneliness. A concept that is no stranger to everyone in this modern age. "You don't understand depression until you can't stand your own presence in an empty room." This phrase pretty much sums up the state of the main character Padraic towards the end of the film. It's painful to watch him slowly being consumed by isolation and hopelessness. Moreover, it's heartbreaking to watch such a 'good' and beloved person lost his purpose and became violently rotten inside and out. All of this makes the character feel relatable and at the same time, intensely frightening, especially to those who were once or are still a loner and a dreamer. And this happened to basically every other involved character explaining some of the choices they made during the film.
***END OF POSSIBLE SPOILER***
Now, moving on to the scores. Having not paid much attention to the gentle, subtly optimistic first part of the soundtrack, I, on the other hand, found myself engaged in the suspenseful, immersive, and haunting feel of the second half. They say a film isn't just the stories or the cinematography, it's also the music that completes the piece. And truthfully, in this case, that was proven. The music truly did perfect the film. To be honest, I wouldn't have been surprised if it had surpassed EEAAO and become The Best Picture this year. Which did not happen, but I love both films, so what the hell.
In conclusion, I reckon it's going to be a hard watch. However, finish watching it and you will be rewarded with a beautiful soundtrack, some amusing, heartwarming moments, and a shocking but perhaps, fitting end. Just as long as you can withstand some minor gore images, and depression, along with a rather slow beginning. I mean, how can you get treasure if you don't go through all the troubles, right?
At first, it seemed like a simple, perhaps, boring idea for a film. However, being set on an island off the west coast of Ireland where a war is taking place, makes this such an interesting "phenomenon" to observe. Especially, when the mentioned island is full of unexcited people and their not-so-exciting lives. Well, at least that's what the story was until it took a rather dark turn and changed the lives of multiple individuals forever.
First of all, I especially love the way the film started slowly and just took its time to get you to learn about several involved characters. It let you have a peek at their likeability and relatability, made you feel like rooting for them and hoping for a happily-ever-after ending. Then, out of nowhere, the fairy tale collapsed.
For me, this is a story about dreams and isolation, which are differently perceived and approached by every human being. And how that story was told by following several key characters' narratives is what made it so memorable.
***POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT*** Let's talk about dreams. In this film, those are what one character tried to achieve, lost all their hope for, and then "Well, there does that dream". Others made some understandably ruthless choices, while some is more merciful the other. They both got what they wanted in the end. Then there's another character, the one who "didn't dream" until he realized he needed to. Therefore, he tried so hard, and he failed. But instead of letting go, that guy became a completely different person, a broken one. Having said that, I believe it wasn't just dream-chasing that broke a man, it was also the effect of another factor or, in this case, constant lonesomeness.
And that brings up my next point, loneliness. A concept that is no stranger to everyone in this modern age. "You don't understand depression until you can't stand your own presence in an empty room." This phrase pretty much sums up the state of the main character Padraic towards the end of the film. It's painful to watch him slowly being consumed by isolation and hopelessness. Moreover, it's heartbreaking to watch such a 'good' and beloved person lost his purpose and became violently rotten inside and out. All of this makes the character feel relatable and at the same time, intensely frightening, especially to those who were once or are still a loner and a dreamer. And this happened to basically every other involved character explaining some of the choices they made during the film.
***END OF POSSIBLE SPOILER***
Now, moving on to the scores. Having not paid much attention to the gentle, subtly optimistic first part of the soundtrack, I, on the other hand, found myself engaged in the suspenseful, immersive, and haunting feel of the second half. They say a film isn't just the stories or the cinematography, it's also the music that completes the piece. And truthfully, in this case, that was proven. The music truly did perfect the film. To be honest, I wouldn't have been surprised if it had surpassed EEAAO and become The Best Picture this year. Which did not happen, but I love both films, so what the hell.
In conclusion, I reckon it's going to be a hard watch. However, finish watching it and you will be rewarded with a beautiful soundtrack, some amusing, heartwarming moments, and a shocking but perhaps, fitting end. Just as long as you can withstand some minor gore images, and depression, along with a rather slow beginning. I mean, how can you get treasure if you don't go through all the troubles, right?
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