The Delinquent Season

In a time when movies often don't fully portray the aftermath of betrayal, I felt this movie reminded me what I seem to have been indifferent to, dare I say forgotten. The main thing I think this film tries to do, is provoke its' audience to rethink the aftermath of betrayal. Nowadays, the whole relationship institution has dissolved into nothing substantial. Whilst emphasizing the collapse of loyalty between the partners and to the marriage itself, the movie has awakened the inevitable consequence of each disloyal act we partake in, when in a relationship.

The actors were fantastic and Cillian Murphy's performance definitely stood out. It's certainly a refreshing change to see him portray a character that's preserving a tiny portion of his own nature, so it seems.

I must say though, at first, I thought the movie was rather boring during the first twenty minutes. Only then did I realize that as boring as it was to watch the characters day to day life, it must be dreadful to actually live as such, thus explaining, and ultimately leading, to the acts of infidelity.

I think this film deserves a better rating owing to the fabulous performances of all the 4 main actors. A tender and sensitive portrayal of a very real subject.

Very good description of what are our relationships with our husband, wife, children today. Nobody really lies but nobody really tells the truth. A wife who considers her husband as her houseboy, another one who thinks seriously that she just have to snap her fingers to make the lover she thrown badly come back right away. I like the end of the film because a man has found what he was looking for, may be even without having the consciousness of that, a woman who loves him. Even if they are coming from very different backgrounds, he knows he is beloved. the actors are all very good. Too bad that this film had only a limited distribution. Bravo to the Irish cinema, and especially to Cillian Murphy who is not afraid to take risks when he chooses a character to play.

The Delinquent Season tells the story of two married couples living in Dublin; Jim (Cillian Murphy) and Danielle (Eva Birthistle), and Chris (Andrew Scott) and Yvonne (Catherine Walker). As the foursome are having dinner one evening, an argument breaks out between Chris and Yvonne, with Chris behaving in a worryingly irrational manner. A few days later, Chris confides in Jim as to why he's been having mood swings of late, swearing Jim to secrecy. Over the next few weeks, as Chris's mood swings become physically aggressive, Yvonne turns to Jim for support, and soon, they are in the midst of an affair. Jim, however, continues to keep Chris's secret.

The film treats well the topic of middle-class malaise and ennui, deftly shifting the audience's sympathy multiple times throughout. However, in his feature directorial debut, Mark O'Rowe misses a great opportunity for a really powerful dénouement, letting the narrative drag on for 10 minutes or so too long. Still though, it's well acted, and extremely realistic, attaining an almost documentarian objectivity at times. Well worth checking out.

I enjoyed this drama story through its runtime. The story, the sudden twist, great screenplay real performances make it so watchable and enjoyable. Totally recommended!!