User reviews

What a delightful little film that's equal parts charming, funny and heartfelt.

Two very touching performances from Seána Kerslake and Patrick Kielty, both lending a great deal of agony and longing to their characters and making them feel so real. A very strong feature film debut from director Prasanna Puwanarajah, and a script from Stacey Gregg that feels very real and hits close to home when it needs to.

It's always nice to see such a small Irish film have a sold-out screening and receive a very warm reception when the credits roll. Can't wait to rewatch this one and hopefully appreciate it even more.

"Ballywalter" is one of those regional films that's funded by the local film board as potentially a springboard for new and interesting talent. Sometimes the people involved overreach themselves but that's not the case here. Instead we have a nicely played two-hander that sticks to its knitting and doesn't try anything fancy.

What this delivers is a pair of fine performances from Seana Kerslake and Patrick Kielty as they're brought together in a taxi shuttling up to Belfast and back again. This provides plenty of space for them to slowly reveal who they are and what they're about. There are no great surprises but it's all handled in a sensitive and gently comedic fashion.

What the film doesn't do, which feels right, is to try to manufacture more out of the situation than it deserves. There's no whirlwind romance, surprise intervention or lottery win to make their situation more than it is. Instead "Ballywalter" allows the characters to nudge one another in the right direction as we so often do in life.

So maybe I can nudge you in the direction of this film if you get the chance to see it?

I personally loved it. My partner said he "didn't get it!"... I loved looking out for all the places in Belfast and down the peninsula that I see all the time but still get a spark of happiness seeing them on screen (particularly the Newtownards Road and the Empire and the Sunflower Bar). Someone has already touched on the fact that it doesn't try to be anything it's not. It's a slow burn with plenty of comedic moments. The acting is excellent, endearing and believable. Watch and make up your own mind - I would say the story is quite "marmite" i.e. You will either love it or hate it but the acting is really very good!

A superbly written, produced and performed bit of film making, Yes! It might be said This will only be understood locally, but then how do you explain the American people who sat beside me and laughed wholeheartedly at every single 'Belfast' Quip? Much credit to all involved, but most of all to Paddy, Sure he knows the business and of course he has talent oozing out his ears, but 'Shane' is played like he has been acting forever, what a debut and I for one look forward to more big screen appearances from Mr Keilty! Give it the welly Paddy. Thank you to Stacey Gregg for so many little 'revelations and tips' in this story.

I recently watched a movie that left me feeling very pleased. The director approached a very delicate topic with great care and sensitivity. This topic is relevant to almost everyone at some point in their lives, and it's crucial to know how to overcome it. It's not an easy feat, requiring a great deal of strength to come out on the other side.

The main characters, both conor and seana, gave excellent performances. There were many comedic scenes throughout the movie that were enjoyable.

I definitely recommend this movie, and you won't regret it. You may even thank me later. Thank you to Prasanna for bringing this masterpiece to us in such a simple manner.