Black Pool

Anyone with any interest in the "troubles" that plagued Ireland in the '60s, '70s, '80s and '90s must see this taut thriller that shows that painful memories of the conflict are alive today in such an unlikely setting as a dank basement in Portland, Oregon. It is filmed in a soft black and white that emphasizes the bleakness of the setting but allows the undistracted camera to focus intensely on the actors. The plot was triggered off camera by what amounts to an incredible coincidence, after which the main protagonists engage in words and actions that threaten to lead to horrible consequences for both. The three actors on screen metaphorically represent Irish, Protestants, Irish Catholics and American intermediaries. The actors were allowed to do their fine work over the course of just five days in a sound studio at Portland State University. Archival footage of the conflict in Ireland in the early twentieth century help lend background. Contemporary color videos of Ireland highlighted the terrible beauty of the land. BTW, Dublin means "Black Pool" in the Irish Language.

Black Pool is a pretty gripping drama-suspense-thriller. Most of the movie is set in one room - a dark, dank basement in an industrial area of some unnamed American city. (based on the end credits, I think it's Portland, Oregon). The movie centers on three characters who spend the entire running time trying to outwit each other as they work to figure out who is telling the truth and who is lying about a tragic event in their shared pasts. There are some nice twists and turns in the plot. There are some interesting quasi-experimental touches throughout, in particular the use of shots of contemporary Belfast and Dublin and the use of old newsreel footage of the war that has long raged in parts of Northern Ireland. The movie is in fact VERY Irish - it is scored almost entirely by Irish punk rock music and features footage and photography and plot elements from the conflict in Northern Ireland commonly known as the Troubles. Without being too obvious, the movie does a good job of providing background about that conflict, so you don't have to be an expert on it to follow the action, but I suspect that if you know something about Ireland's violent political history then you might get more out of the themes of the movie than I did. But as I said, you won't have any trouble following it. Whether you are interested in Ireland or not, it's a very gut-wrenching thriller. Also, the actors are incredible, it is a real showcase for them. It's obviously pretty low budget so I don't know what kind of a release it will get, but it's an excellent film and worth seeking out. Very highly recommended.