Bring Them Down

69TH CORK FILM FEST - #3 (PREMIERE + Q&A)

A fast-paced revenge film that never has a dull moment that somehow manages to pull of the impossible, in my opinion. The entire cast do a fantastic job, but the standout would have to be Nora-Jane Murphy, Barry Keoghan and Christopher Abbot (who's accent is unreal for an American). Both do so much more with their respective roles than anyone else. The themes of abuse, violence and the inability to properly communicate are very welded in here. They are also very current in our world at the moment, so they really spoke to me. I'm very excited to revisit this one on general release.

This movie has a really simple storyline when you look at it overall. But the director's craft and filming style make it much more engaging, and on top of that, it brings a fresh cinematic experience that we don't often see. One of the things I really liked about this film was the music score. They used a sound that resembles a pulsating beat but blended it with a traditional instrumental feel, which added an intense and unique atmosphere to the film. Since the movie is a thriller set in a rural area, the cinematography is stunning. However, there are quite a few handheld camera shots, which make certain scenes feel more immersive. While that works well for some moments, like close up tension-building shots, it does make action sequences like running or car chases harder to follow at times. When it comes to acting, the performances were solid, and Barry's performance stood out as the best in the film. The movie also does a great job of portraying deep emotional struggles-how parental conflicts affect children, the trauma of losing something precious, and how unresolved emotions can push someone into a state of complete mental breakdown. It also highlights the unintended consequences of human ego in a way that feels incredibly raw and real. These are the elements that make this film truly unforgettable.

Sheep sheep lots of sheep sheep those who are stealers of sheep and those who mutilate sheep for monetary benefit believe it or not and a story of a family who has taken care of sheep for 500 years I guess a movie with good actors playing okay here I am Debbie Downer playing dumb roles dumb characters who basically do dumb things and seem to have no ability to make any good decisions nobody in the whole movie makes really a good decision or they make a half baked one and then go to do what they plan but don't really do what they thought they were going to do sounds like real life but this is not like real life it's just kooky and it ends kooky and the protagonist who isn't a bad feller gets the raw end of the sheep I mean of the stick okay of the sheep it's not really a good movie I endured it but I would not recommend it because it goes round and round and ends up as movies seem to do these days nowhere it's a story that didn't need to be told or made into a movie it's quite dissatisfying and if anyone says it's good or worth watching don't believe it don't believe it baaaaa baaaaaaaa baaaa.

The story begins with significant potential, particularly following the extensive buildup that led me to anticipate a conclusion that would be equally, if not more, impactful.

However, the writing had different ideas.

Issues emerge as the second half unfolds, particularly when the plot opts for a non-linear approach and delves determinedly into flashbacks.

The established rhythm and momentum plummeted dramatically. While there were a few intriguing characters and relationship dynamics to dig into, the script only skimmed the surface, resulting in a futile tale of 'Vengeance' that ultimately delivered no meaningful impact.

We start with a fairly traumatic car accident that goes some way in explaining just why, many years later, the sheep farming "Michael" (Christopher Abbott) is living with his immobile dad (Colm Meaney) and living a fairly unfulfilled life. Their neighbour calls to advise that a couple of his rams have been found dead on their farm and so when he goes to investigate, we meet "Caroline" (Nora-Jane Noone) who used to be his girlfriend before she left him for "Gary" (Paul Ready) and they had son "Jack" (Barry Keoghan). With no evidence of the corpses, he heads to the market to buy replacements only to find that his neighbours haven't been straight with him and that there's quite enough history here to ensure that "Michael" keeps his mouth shut. Meantime, things aren't proving much better for the couple next door as their farm is struggling to pay it's way and when their young son comes up with an unilateral scheme with his thuggish cousin "Lee" (Aaron Heffernan) to raise, rather brutally, some extra cash then things turn violent and dangerous now with just about every element of trust out the window! This isn't a mystery for the squeamish as it highlights some of the real difficulties faced by hill farmers facing financial difficulties trying to make their inhospitable land pay. The story itself here is a bit of a mess, and though it does gradually start to make a little sense towards the end, for the most part it seems a little too thinly stretched and reliant on the time-shifting chronology to tell us an under-characterised story from differing perspectives as the threads rather far-fetchedly come together at the end. It's a fine looking film offering an authentic look at a barely better than subsistence form of life populated by folks suspicious of newcomers and of each other, but I couldn't help but feel this needed a much firmer hand on the storytelling front and Keoghan just too old for the part. Abbott delivers well, and it's still worth a watch - but television in due course ought to be fine.