A Date for Mad Mary

Mary McArdle has just been released from prison after doing time for a violent crime. On here release she goes home to Drogheda where she can't wait to catch up with her best friend Charlene. But Charlene is getting married and despite having Mary as 'Maid of Honour' she seems heavily reluctant to hang out with her erstwhile closest friend.

What is worse Mary has not even got a 'plus one' on the Wedding invite as she has no boyfriend. So she sets out to get herself a date and then by dint of force of character make them join her for the Wedding. Seems like a simple plan but we all know what happens to the best laid plans, and in that department Mary is no exception.

Now this is a comedy drama and it deals with real life issues, often in an unflinching way but this is brilliantly juxtaposed with some razor sharp comedy and moments of wit that border on being genius. Seana Kerslake as 'Mad' Mary is perfect for the role and bodes well for more to come in her career. The entire cast though are spot on and the Grandmother gets two of the best lines, so the fun is spread round.

It is directed by Darren Thornton who co wrote it with Colin Thornton and I think they should be very proud of such an unassuming film that packs such a big cinematic punch. This is a film I can recommend all day long.

On her release from prison a troubled girl struggles to find a date for her best friend's wedding.

Engaging coming-of-age story that balances romance with well observed character difficulties. The intro is nicely judged, and the pace carries us along at a good clip. A few comedy set pieces are underwritten, especially the stuff on the dating agency, so the humour misses out on a few laughs but maintains a light tone. And the direction keeps the simple moral of the tale from falling into soap-opera.

The outstanding element is the performance of the lead actor - she's lively and brooding at the same time, with a gift for the close-up. Other performances are good, although the lesbian lover is not quite convincing.

Music is a bit montagey. Editing good.

Overall: Decent story elevated by a talented actor.

This was a lovely surprise. I've been watching more Irish films lately and really enjoyed this one. A great performance by the two lead characters and they protrayed the meaning of friendship and the fallouts good friendships can have. The film was a little dark in parts but that didn't take away from the emotional impact. Lovely film.

A Date for Mad Mary (2016) is an Irish film co-written and directed by Darren Thornton.

The movie stars Seána Kerslake as Mary. Mary is a young woman who, as far as I can tell, has no redeeming virtues. As the movie opens, she's being released from prison, after serving for six months. (We learn slightly later that she has committed a violent crime, and her victim now has a large scar on her face.)

Mary doesn't have any true friends. Her "best friend" is getting married, and Mary is maid of honor. However, the friend is late when she comes to get Mary at the prison gates. It becomes clear that the friend is distancing herself from Mary.

The plot, such as it was, involves Mary having to find a date for the wedding. That plot straggles along, but never comes to much.

Part of the reason I disliked the film was that at times the actors switched into what I would call an Irish patois, which I couldn't understand. At other times, their speech was perfectly intelligible, so I'm not sure what to make of that.

There are two stereotyped characters in supporting roles. Mary's mother appears decent enough. The mother likes to date younger men. It doesn't seem like a serious flaw to me, although Mary thinks it's terrible. The older grandmother sits in a chair and sends out zingers. Not much there, either.

We saw this movie at Rochester's excellent Little Theatre, as part of the wonderful ImageOut, the Rochester LGBT Film Festival. It will work well on the small screen.

The chair of the film selection committee told me he loved this movie. It has a respectable IMDb rating of 7.2. This means that my review is a minority report. However, there's no point in reviewing films if you just follow the crowd. These are my thoughts about the movie. I can't recommend it.

Could have been five, but missed a few details. First, the title doesn't describe the essence of the story. Second, the cover doesn't covey it either. OK, picky points over. Third, the ending (some directors are prone to this cutesy & nebulous non-creative trick) leaves the viewer hanging, e.g. wasn't clear who was on the phone. Fourth, we didn't get enough of the background of Mary's character and what sent her to jail. One of the central themes is the transformation of Mary which for some viewers to understand requires more background. The disfigurement of a person is not a trivial matter to not address. Won some awards at an Irish film festival.