Auf der Suche nach Finbar

this film was great, i saw it on television and can only imagine how wonderful the beautiful northern swedish scenery must have looked, and interesting tale of how people aren't really that different after all, and how you've got to get away from your normal surroundings and go out into the world and find yourself. top stuff

A movie said to be Irish-English-Swedish was enough to make me watch it when it was on TV, but I must say I'm disappointed. The movie starts out in Ireland, Finbar disappears, then half the movie goes by, and then suddenly Finbar decides to phone up his old friend Danny, telling him he's in Sweden. If the movie was half-interesting and believable in the beginning, after Danny goes to Sweden, it becomes decreasingly interesting and believable.

The scenery is really nice (even though I personally can't stand being in the north of Sweden because of all the snow and the freezing cold), but lovely nature pictures of it doesn't make up for the complete lack of anything resembling a proper plot. It's far too weak! Why did Danny go all that way and through all that trouble to search for Finbar, when Finbar was a completely selfish prat who no one in their right mind could really care about (let alone the movie audience!) - which we learn from the first 5 minutes of the film? The story's so full of plot holes it could compete with a Swiss cheese!

The only good thing about it, apart from the scenery pictures, is the Irish accent, and a chance to recognise some people who were in "Michael Collins", plus Lorraine Pilkington ("Monarch of the Glen"). That's about it. Sure, you can watch this movie if you've got nothing better to do, but you'd be better off watching something else.

I initially saw this movie b/c I am a Jonathan Rhys-Meyers fan and had not seen the film. The start of the film was a tad slow for my tastes, but as it got on, I got more into it. When Finbar actually disappears (preluded with very smart, energetic gut acting by Rhys-Meyers) and Danny decides to look for him, I really started paying attention. It was an interesting trip. The music was great, the scenery shots were gorgeous, and I thought Danny was doing good detective work. There is an element of humor in the film that really got me. I wasn't expecting it, but it was there, though subtle.

Griffin does a fine job as Danny. He is understated and very likable. Rhys-Meyers' Finbar is very interesting. He is a mysterious figure that we never get the real deal on. We get a look here and there of real emotion and feeling, but I don't know Finbar. The energy Jonathan gave the role was a little unexpected (I expected him to be more subdued), but it was a perfect foil for Danny.

All in all, I thought it was a good film, worth the time to see.

A real oddity, this mixed bag of a film. The early establishing scenes are so ineptly handled, and so protracted, yet the film suddenly springs into life in the second half, when we get across to Finland. Here we have some stunning scenery and an interesting look at a part of the world that doesn't often appear on the cinema screen. Even here it falters occasionally, in that the main story is all but forgotten in what amounts to little more than a quirky travelogue. If the opening half had been a little more engaging, then the ensuing developments would have had far more power. As it stands, we are left with a film not devoid of charm. The humorous moments seem a little forced and not always successful, and the overall impression is of the amateurishness of the entire enterprise. Shame, because there was a lot of scope here.

Bizarre, beautiful and quite unique; The Disappearance of Finbar is a difficult film to classify, starting out as a straightforward tale of teenage friendship turned to rivalry, transforming suddenly into a slow-burning, quiet but frequently wonderful oddyssey as Danny sets off on his trek through Sweden's stunning snowfields in search of the long-lost Finbar. Rhys-Myers is an unpredictable ball of energy while maintaining just enough of an air of mystery and distance, contrasting with Griffin's subtle Danny. The landscapes are to die for, the music grows on you and the film has a lingering, haunting quality. A little seen gem, this is the kind of movie that'll be adored and detested in equal proportion. 8/10