Adam & Paul

This is a touching and frank portrayal of a day in the life of two Dublin junkies called Adam and Paul and their modern day "odessy" around Dublin, a Dublin not often seen on screen.

Adam and Paul have reached rock bottom and spend their entire day walking around Dublin trying to beg, borrow or steal enough money to secure their next fix. There are some bittersweet moments of comedy that come from tragedy in it's rawest form with both of the lead actors turning in excellent performances as the down and out Adam and Paul.

The fact that the film makers manage to get the audience on the side of Adam and Paul is a testament to how well written and acted a piece this is. It's hard not to empathise with them as they struggle to find their next fix.

This is a story that will stay with you.

One of the best films at the Berlinale Film Festival. Gritty, disturbing with doses of black humour thrown in. The characters are likable and the film never dives into emotional manipulation. It's social realism at it's finest, creatively shot and brilliantly acted. Poignant and unforgettable.

The dynamics between the two characters are fascinating. Childhood friends, thrown together since age fourteen, living on the streets, without hope, full of despair, Adam constantly berates and yells at Paul but there is above all, a deep, lasting bond between them. They are despicable characters in so many ways, but there is such tragedy in their eyes and so much despair in their bones, and you end up feeling for them, and a certain innate understanding and empathy. They're outcasts with zero future. They're the "pathetic" people we walk past and ignore every day, and, in the film, they mesmerize.

Somebody said to me it's like Trainspotting without the humour. I'd say it's like Trainspotting, but without the over the top camera tricks, visualizations and the like. There is more social reality and despair, ala Mike Leigh. There is humour, but on a more subtle level.

It sticks with you.

I saw this film twice and I really enjoyed it. I think that you cannot really compare it with Cowboys and Angels or Intermission (both of which I enjoyed) because it is much more surreal at times, the script is much less plot-driven and more focused on characters. It taps into a different cinematic tradition, much more 'European' than either of those two film. O'Halloran has an ear for language and accent, and allowing his characters to say some beautiful (simple) things: Paul says, frustrated, 'why can't things be easy, why can't we just be...relaxed'. It's not just about heroin addicts - it's about Dublin's invisible population, post-Celtic Tiger, those we don't want to deal with. The guy from Bulgaria takes some abuse from them and he replies 'who are you?', meaning they, i.e. two Irish men, are every bit as undesirable as he is. The humour in the film often consists of laughter that shocks you. The film is drawn out partly because the day in the life of an addict is very long and finding a score is SO important to them. The shock at my own relief when they did score was very apt in the film and I think skilfully done. It never preaches, just lets these sad characters be themselves. The cinematography is beautiful: Dublin comes out as a city of contradictions, with dirty back streets - where the Down's Syndrome boy is robbed - are juxtaposed with the flashy new 'Millenium Bridge', where Adam and Paul enjoy their hit. I do not consider this an "Irish" film and that is not why I would recommend it: it is beautifully scripted, acted and directed. It is just a great movie.

I first saw this film a couple of years back and had forgotten the names of the characters (a reflection on my memory NOT the film!). To my delight, I chanced to catch it again on TV this year.

Though it may help to have a liberal attitude, it's not necessary to be acquainted with the demi-monde depicted here to appreciate the truthfulness shown in its writing and execution. The dark humour is grotesque and incisive.... and very, very funny.

It might be easy to overlook the fact that the Down's Syndrome lad is actually an ACTOR doing his thing (because of the cringe-worthy nature of the scene here), but the incident serves to illustrate in a shocking way the amorality of the world that Adam and Paul inhabit. It's uncomfortable viewing, but its heart is in the right place.

That aside, there are more laugh-out-loud moments than the subject matter should hope to muster, and the senses of both pathos and revulsion at the end are masterfully combined. A truly unforgettable treat.

One of the first comments in the movie becomes the corner post of the irony of urban life. Paul states "I feel sorry for those Bulgarians.." while living in conditions that are as bad as anywhere. The actors did a great job, and you feel hungry and cold and angst with them. If the director's intention was to get viewers to feel empathy for the main characters, it works well.

The setting, the boy's hometown neighborhood, provides links to the boys' past and some later conversation gives an indication how their state of affairs came to be. The pace is a bit slow, but dramatic rather than boring. Making movies about junkies, it's easy to be dramatic and provide impact, this one does well. Not as graphic as it could have been, but definitely satisfying. Entertaining and quite sobering, probably a good watch for any 14yr old urban male as an education of consequences.