The Delinquent Season

An intense mix of romance and suspense, The Delinquent Season provides a story that displays marriages gone terribly wrong. The director Mark O'Rowe gives a story about two Irish couples who are close friends, having dinners with each other and coordinating playdates between their children. The movie escalates when the two couples begin to get involved in a situation of adultery, testing the strength of marriage and unraveling surprising circumstances. I thought the movie itself was very entertaining, being filmed in a grim and serious way that had me attentive throughout. The acting was impressive as well, I specifically enjoyed the performance by Cillian Murphy. Overall, The Delinquent Season is an entertaining entry in the drama genre.

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.

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.

It was Cillian Murphy that attracted me to watch this movie. And I got so much more. Solid story with a presentation of moral dilemmas that have a lasting effect - both in thought and discussions. What would you do when impossible situations present themselves as attractive temptations? Cillian Murphy and Catherine Walker carry the movie, with great moments of Andrew Scott and Eva Birthistle. Solid hour and 3/4 of good acting. Most probably for the deeper thinkers, as this is not a light romance. I loved the ending and the outcome and the statement it makes. Counter-intuitive, I would say. Watch it to understand.

When I read last year that Andrew Scott and Cillian Murphy would be making a film together I got very excited, as they are both absolute favourites of mine. When I then read some online reviews after the film came out in Ireland, criticising it as boring, hugely disappointing and dull I almost didn't watch it, and how sad that would have been. I'm not entirely sure which film these critics saw, but I found it anything but boring and disappointing. Quite the contrary... I watched it about 5 days ago and it is still stuck in my head and I keep of finding myself thinking back to it. Yes, it is slow paced in places, it doesn't have crazy twists and turns every 15 minutes and if you compare it to other relationship & affair dramas it's nowhere near as shocking, but thats exactly what made it so much more interesting to me. It's so realistic! It feels exactly what I'd imagine it would feel like to have an affair, and the the way the story unfolds is extremely close to life and makes you feel exhilarated but completely uncomfortable at the same time. Yes, you can tell that the director has only directed theatre productions, which gives the film a certain spareness, but once again this makes it more unique to me. It's not overloaded with side stories and mind blowing cinematography, it gets to the point of human feelings & needs. The constant questioning of what is right and wrong, of what makes you happy and how far you're allowed to go for it, of who you are and who you want to be and the issues you might have with yourself that lead to having an affair are so well played out, so is the struggle with love vs. lust and what it all really means! At the end I felt like I really knew these people, and I deeply felt for them. It's such a small but perfect cast and such a tender and yet uncomfortable story. I personally can only very highly recommend it and will definitely watch it again.