Sanctuary

The film is adapted out of an original play that sold out during Galway Arts Festival 2 years ago. I really enjoyed the play initially and when I heard that it was to be adapted to a film I thought that it was a really good Idea. Rita (my baby sister) was really excited about working with all her buddies in Blue Teapot and acting which all our family knows comes extremely natural to her. However she didn't tell us anything about the script and told us to wait until it was produced. As the Film Fleadh approached we got our tickets and looked forward to the night. We were going to support our sister and her buddies as we had always done as we knew the work that Blue Teapot does is extremely important. What followed for the next hour and twenty seven minutes was a mixture of laughter and realisation of the real issues that affect people with intellectual disabilities. What you experienced if you'd seen the play was the director exploring the characters, each in their own little way and pushing the boundaries of what we who don't have a recognised intellectual disability see as completely normal. What you witnessed if you hadn't seen the play was a comedy that made you laugh out loud all through the film and again outside when you reviewed the various aspects with the fellow audience members. Even though its listed as a comedy the real underlining message of the original play was not lost, well done Christian O Reilly & Len Collin.

I met a colleague of mine after the show who had never seen the play or knew nothing about the cast or history, as we spoke it was on my mind that my bias was shadowing my review so I asked her what she thought, I was pleasantly surprised that she was absolutely blown away by the experience and I have no doubt you will too!

Sanctuary is such an amazing film !! At times the movie made me laugh and at times it's made me cry. Sanctuary has a wonderful real life issue to tell. The screenplay is WONDERFUL!! as well as an amazing direction by Len Collins !!

I Highly recommend anyone to watch this

I was lucky enough to see this film at the Galway Film Fleadh. Even taking into account the home atmosphere, this was a very special film on a very special night. It is laugh out loud funny, but also very moving.

The plot involves a guy called Larry, who has Down's Syndrome (played by Kieran Coppinger) and his girlfriend Sophie (Charlene Kelly) who has epilepsy and their attempts to have a romantic few hours in a hotel room, which has been organised by their care worker Tom (Robert Doherty).

The trouble is it all takes place during an organised trip to the cinema for a group of people with Learning Disabilities. So mayhem ensues when Tom fails to return quickly and his other charges have disappeared – escaping the cinema to explore their own freedoms. The two guys in the pub are particularly funny - kind of like the two old men in the Muppets. There's a great scene at the pick n mix… and Larry and Sophie will have you laughing and crying in equal measure. Yet at no time does it veer into the world of farce; that would have done the film a gross injustice.

The ending is not quite what I expected: my partner thought it was too sudden, but I thought it was just right. It leaves you wanting more. In fact the whole film was not quite what I expected. The cast are mainly actors with Down's or Autism and they are superb. Their performances have an honesty and truth about them that seems lacking in many performances. It is an unusual film for sure; but well worth your time if you get to see it. The soundtrack is great. It's well directed and credit to the writer for a very funny and moving script.

I really enjoyed this movie, there are great characters it and some of the lines they come out with are so funny. It might deal with social issues but like any good movie enjoying it just takes over. It's much funnier than some of the comedies I've seen this year and it really needs more distribution for more people to see it. Its a great movie, if you like Irish movies and a good laugh I really recommend going to see it.

I just didn't find it very interesting. Yes, there were a few funny moments, it brought up a taboo subject, and had some emotional sub- plots. Overall, I found the dialogue to be very wooden, and the ending was just disappointing.