A Date For Mad Mary.

spurious

Hadn't heard about this one at all. Shot in Drogheda, it was the 'Secret Screen' film at the GAZE festival this afternoon.
It's a coming out, coming of age story and yes, of course it's all been done before, but I found it charming. Very strong performances form the leads especially, but I can't think of a weak performance in it.
I really enjoyed it and I hope it will do well internationally.

Trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgAkhspus8A

DubTony

+1

This was also a joint winner of Best Irish Feature in Galway this year.

http://www.galwayfilmfleadh.com/index.php/2016/08/02/2016-award-winners/

Due for release her at the beginning of September.

MilesMorales1

It's an Irish film! Looks pretty good to me already. Out 2 weeks today I think.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgAkhspus8A

spurious

Saw it in GAZE.
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057629265

I enjoyed it a lot. It went down very well with the GAZE audience, where it was the 'secret' film.

MilesMorales1

spurious wrote: »

Saw it in GAZE.
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057629265

I enjoyed it a lot. It went down very well with the GAZE audience, where it was the 'secret' film.

Even more excited

Nervous Wreck

Pretty sure this won at the Galway Film Fleadh...

JP Liz V1

Looks to be out here this Friday, looking forward to his

Rambling Rake

Seems to be a lot of hype and great reviews for this. I expect it to be good but I can't say the trailer would entice me had I not read about it.

http://entertainment.ie/movie-film-trailers/A-Date-For-Mad-Mary/382917.htm

MilesMorales1

I loved it with a capital L.

Looper007

Very strange to say that two of my favourite films this year have been Irish, Sing Street and now A Date for Mad Mary.

A crying shame that The Young Offenders is being given a massive promotional push, yet this little gem of a film didn't even get a poster at my local cinema. I came out of Mad Mary with a smile plastered across my face, just a fantastic film from the first minute until the end. At 82 minutes it's not long either. The first thing to say is if this doesn't at least get Seana Kerslake (probably famous if at all for her role as the posh girl in Kristen Sheridans disappointing DollHouse, she also was in The Lobster) some attention from more filmmakers then I be shocked, she's amazing as Mary. Definitely one of the best female performances given by a Irish actress for some time.

Also praise for Darren Thornton for not turning Charlene, Mary's friend, into the villain cause you just know in most films they would have gone that route. She's is somewhat justified in what she does and does redeem herself in her and Mary's last scene. Also Tara Lee as Jess is loveable and the scenes between Mary and Jess shows us that Mary is a loveable person underneath, and the fact it's a lesbian relationship isn't made a big deal off.

You have some laugh out loud scenes, with Mary trying to find a date, her Grandma but this isn't a laugh a minute. The film is willing to show Mary not in such a flattering light, and isn't afraid to go down some dark routes. Anyway this is a film just not worth seen for Kerslake performance alone, but also a wonderful screenplay and a great cast. Hopefully this film will do well.

Looper007

Rambling Rake wrote: »

Seems to be a lot of hype and great reviews for this. I expect it to be good but I can't say the trailer would entice me had I not read about it.

http://entertainment.ie/movie-film-trailers/A-Date-For-Mad-Mary/382917.htm

The trailer really undersells the film imo. Makes it look like a rom com, but it's far more comedy drama, this is more about Mary then her finding a date for a wedding. But I can see why they tried to sell it like that, brings in more of a audience I suppose.

j.s. pill II

Good to hear. I hope it adds to the list of decent Irish films. When my forrin' mates ask me to recommend Irish films I don't really have a lot to choose from (Well, that may be slightly unfair) - I'd recommend The Butcher Boy but I wouldn't want them having nightmares!

On a side note, yer wan is bloody gorgeous. I very much doubt she would have trouble finding a date in real life.

Looper007

j.s. pill II wrote: »

Good to hear. I hope it adds to the list of decent Irish films. When my forrin' mates ask me to recommend Irish films I don't really have a lot to choose from (Well, that may be slightly unfair) - I'd recommend The Butcher Boy but I wouldn't want them having nightmares!

On a side note, yer wan is bloody gorgeous. I very much doubt she would have trouble finding a date in real life.

Ireland has churned out a few little gems over the last two or three years, Brooklyn, Sing Street, Patrick's Day, Glassland etc... We're getting better would be nice If they would promote most of them better though.

I doubt so, she's a good looking woman, Tara Lee who plays Jess is also easy on the eye too.In the film, I don't think it's cause of her looks she's not getting a date but her personality and her own high demands.

Rambling Rake

Looper007 wrote: »

Rambling Rake wrote: »

Seems to be a lot of hype and great reviews for this. I expect it to be good but I can't say the trailer would entice me had I not read about it.

http://entertainment.ie/movie-film-trailers/A-Date-For-Mad-Mary/382917.htm

The trailer really undersells the film imo. Makes it look like a rom com, but it's far more comedy drama, this is more about Mary then her finding a date for a wedding. But I can see why they tried to sell it like that, brings in more of a audience I suppose.

I assumed this was the case. Spent some happy times living in Drogheda so I was hoping they would attempt the accent.

Delighted for the director. Loved his tv series Love is the Drug and have been trying to get hold of it for years!

Will get to it on Monday or Tuesday.

lukin

j.s. pill II wrote: »

Good to hear. I hope it adds to the list of decent Irish films. When my forrin' mates ask me to recommend Irish films I don't really have a lot to choose from (Well, that may be slightly unfair) - I'd recommend The Butcher Boy but I wouldn't want them having nightmares!

On a side note, yer wan is bloody gorgeous. I very much doubt she would have trouble finding a date in real life.

God yeah she is savage:http://www.echo.ie/images/LIFE_Seana_Kerslake_1_resized.jpg
They've been calling her the Irish Scarlett Johansson but they should really be calling Scarlett Johansson the American Seana Kerslake

johnny_ultimate

A charming, confident film that hosts and even more charming, confident lead performance. Really it's one of those films that only works because of its lead, and Kerslake mostly owns it. I wasn't always convinced of the grittier, darker side of her character, but she absolutely nails the inner turmoil - a mix of eagerness, loneliness and frustration. Certainly has better material to work with than she had in Dollhouse!

The film itself is in many ways pretty standard fare - obviously a few variants on the usual rom-com/drama tropes, but it's built on pretty familiar foundations. Sadly like so many other Irish films there's a lack of visual ambition on display - sometimes the straightforward approach works (when Thornton gets close or allows the camera to linger on a key expression or realisation), but visually it's rarely striking. But, like the script, the direction is good enough, and the last act in particular - while light on surprises - is delivered with warmth, conviction and a solidly judged level of emotional ambiguity (I found the character of Charlene unconvincingly shallow for the most part - even allowing for the fact she is written as unlikeable - but there was a sense of regret in her final scene with Mary that worked really well).

But yes, it's the character study you're here for, and wasn't entirely surprised to see it was based on / adapted from a play. It's an ideal rainy Saturday afternoon film, and what it lacks in ambition and cinematic verve it makes up for with its good vibes and hopefully marking the breakthrough moment for a talented actress.

Outlaw Pete

Seen it tonight. Really liked it.

Funny enough I actually thought Charleigh Bailey (Charlene) stole the film, as almost every scene she was in, she nailed. Seána (Mary) I knew from Dollhouse. Her acting style reminds me of Adele Exarchopoulos for whatever reason.

Anyway, good little film. If anything I just felt it was too short and not fleshed out enough. Definitely left me feeling there should have been more to it all. Overall though a great film for a feature length debut.

Interesting interview with the director and his brother (who co-wrote it).

http://totallydublin.ie/more/features-more/jailbirds-song-interview-colin-darren-thornton/

tunguska

Saw it tonight and its decent enough. I mean it definitely doesnt deserve the glowing reviews its gotten so far but its light years ahead of most irish films. The girl who plays mary is really good. Shes believable and reins things in just enough to not tip over into over acting, which tends to happen a lot in irish films and television. The girl who plays charlene her best mate, unfortunately is very over ripe. Shes trying way too hard and needed to take the pantomine stuck up bride, down a few notches. I was cringing anytime she was on the screen. The dialogue wasnt tight either. It was too contrived.
Its a decent enough movie and way better than most irish films but it couldve been a lot more with a better script and not so many telegraphed "funny" scenes.
3/5

Looper007

Outlaw Pete wrote: »

Seen it tonight. Really liked it.

Funny enough I actually thought Charleigh Bailey (Charlene) stole the film, as almost every scene she was in, she nailed. Seána (Mary) I knew from Dollhouse. Her acting style reminds me of Adele Exarchopoulos for whatever reason.

Anyway, good little film. If anything I just felt it was too short and not fleshed out enough. Definitely left me feeling there should have been more to it all. Overall though a great film for a feature length debut.

Interesting interview with the director and his brother (who co-wrote it).

http://totallydublin.ie/more/features-more/jailbirds-song-interview-colin-darren-thornton/

Really, that's a interesting statement cause in no way does anyone come close to outperforming Seana in this for me. Charleigh was very good, and I did like they didn't turn her into a out right bad guy which many films would have done (she is somewhat justified in the way she behaves, although it's only just). Although I get the feeling by the end their friendship will probably be over or definitely won't be as close.

I thought the film was timed well but you could have added more scenes with Jess and Mary, maybe had some flashbacks to Mary's friendship with Charlene to show us how close they were before prison. I thought they did right not showing us the incident that got Mary her prison sentence, that scene in the place she works is perfect.

Outlaw Pete

Looper007 wrote: »

Really, that's a interesting statement cause in no way does anyone come close to outperforming Seana in this for me.

I guess I just found her performance much more convincing, I'll try and explain what I mean.

The scene towards the end for example, I found emotional only really from Charlene's point of view. I could really feel her loss at having a closer relationship with Seana. The letter reading scene in the house I thought she was particularly excellent in also whereas with Seana I just didn't feel her performance was on point nearly as much. I guess people might think some of her jolty acting here is because her character has a history of violence and so it was deliberate, but I'm not so sure, as in Dollhouse she was the very same. I feel her performance can be out of place. She acts and reacts in a way which can take me right out of a scene. It's a bugbear of mine and I defiantly noticed it once or twice with her again here. It's almost like she is acting like she is on stage and is trying really hard to make sure even the people in the back row feel her performance.

With Bailey I got none of that and will look forward to seeing her in more films for sure.

Don't get me wrong. I still think Seána is a very good actress, which is why I compared her to Adele Exarchopoulos. It's nit picking really but overall it's more about how impressed I was with Charleigh's performance than how unimpressed I was with Seána's. Both are leagues ahead of some other Irish actresses who are doing quite well in Hollywood right now anyway (who I won't name - cough - Saoirse Ronan).

Either way, the film was certainly the most enjoyable I've seen this year and I've heard a few people saying similar which is nice to see for an Irish film. Been awhile.

Also Starring LeVar Burton

Just back from seeing this - a very enjoyable character piece and nice addition to Irish cinema.

Seamai

Went to see the film last night, really enjoyed it. Kerslake's character should be someone that I'd dislike intensely but I found myself rooting for her. A great fully rounded performance from her, she nails it! It could have been grim but it wasn't. I don't want to give anything away but I really liked the balanced ending it had. Check it out!

goose2005

really excellent.

btw Leona was also in Love/Hate and Seána Kerslake is in the Can't Cope Won't Cope on RTE - i might actually watch it now.

tigger123

Saw this on Sunday and absolutely loved it, it's the best film I've seen in quite a while, can't recommend it enough.

Outlaw Pete wrote: »

I guess I just found her performance much more convincing, I'll try and explain what I mean.

The scene towards the end for example, I found emotional only really from Charlene's point of view. I could really feel her loss at having a closer relationship with Seana. The letter reading scene in the house I thought she was particularly excellent in also whereas with Seana I just didn't feel her performance was on point nearly as much. I guess people might think some of her jolty acting here is because her character has a history of violence and so it was deliberate, but I'm not so sure, as in Dollhouse she was the very same. I feel her performance can be out of place. She acts and reacts in a way which can take me right out of a scene. It's a bugbear of mine and I defiantly noticed it once or twice with her again here. It's almost like she is acting like she is on stage and is trying really hard to make sure even the people in the back row feel her performance.

...

I have to say that I interpreted that scene quite differently.

For me, it was an emotional juncture in the film in which, once again, Mary can't express herself in, and I thought Seana portrayed that very well. All too often Mary can't express herself and loses the head and lashes out at people, which is exactly what she did in the kitchen doorway at the end of the scene. I thought Seana captured and portrayed it perfectly.

Also, it was excellently written, as someone else mentioned

Charlene's character could easily have been turned into a bridezilla bitchy friend, but as the story progresses their past relationship is revealed to be much more nuanced than that.

It was amazing though, I really enjoyed it. Passed the 6 laughs test too ...

"A sniper couldn't take you out".

Goodshape

Saw this at the weekend. Absolutely loved it.

tunguska wrote: »

doesnt deserve the glowing reviews its gotten so far but its light years ahead of most irish films.

Just out of interest, what are 'most Irish films'?

From what I've seen in the past handful of years, the quality of Irish film / [co-]Irish productions has been pretty spectacular.

Frank, Calvary, Room, Brookyln, Song of the Sea, The Guard – all among my favourite films (from anywhere) in the years they were released.

LuckyLloyd

I thought it was brilliant. I laughed, I cried and I was actively rooting for things to happen throughout.

Outlaw Pete

It's certainly one of those films your sorry to see end. A rarity these days.

Even with most films I have enjoyed of late I've had my fill of them come the credits. With this film I could have watched another hour no bother.

tigger123

Anyone know anything about the guys that made it? Did I see two names pop up at the end with the same surname? Brothers?

goose2005

tigger123 wrote: »

Anyone know anything about the guys that made it? Did I see two names pop up at the end with the same surname? Brothers?

yes. Also made Love is the Drug

Goodshape

Directed by Darren Thornton, screenplay adapted from Yasmine Akram's play (which was directed by Darren) by himself and his brother, Colin.

Wikipedia wrote:

The film is adapted from Yasmine Akram's one-woman play 10 Dates with Mad Mary (2010). Darren Thornton, who directed the original play, adapted and directed this, along with his brother Colin.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Date_for_Mad_Mary

Seems it's their first feature film: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1802381

goose2005

Oh I just realised something - "John Carter" also stars in the chest-shaving/waxing McDonald's ad!