Joyriders

Scenery: For the first twenty minutes or so "Joyriders" portrays pre-prosperous grimy late 1980s Dublin , this soon gives rise to more uplifting locations; nasty little rural Ireland and Billie Whitelaw's tea dances.

The protagonists: Mary is fiery and short-tempered while Perky has a desperate sense of adventure (revolving around car theft). Ultimately this brings them closer together.

Conclusion: The stilted performances of the whole cast makes for uneven viewing. The characters are unengaging and poorly developed. Even the somewhat upbeat and tidy climax does not brighten up this oddly humourless tale.

4/10