Red Roses and Petrol

I caught this film at a festival some time ago and was very impressed. Being a smaller budget movie I was surprised by how well done it was, both production and performance wise. visually the film has a dark appeal that really reflects the theme of a family coping with the loss of a loved one. Director Tamar Simon Hoffs accomplished the challenging task of turning a play into a film, and created a wonderful on screen dynamic while not compromising the integrity of the plays theme. Another aspect of the film that I enjoyed was it's ability to balance dark comedic elements while maintaining a strong message, something many movies fail to achieve. Although it may not have elaborate sets and an abundance of A list Hollywood actors, Red Roses and Petrol is a great film and shouldn't be missed.

Saw this yesterday at AFI and came away disappointed in this screen adaptation of Dublin playwright Joseph O'Connor's play. There is some good casting, particularly with Malcolm McDowell and Max Beasley - they look like they could be father and son. However, I never felt much chemistry between Malcolm McDowell (Enda) and Olivia Tracy (Moya), and she seemed to be too youthful to be his wife!

This ensemble piece frequently felt like seven characters acting in their own version of this play, with many soliloquies rather than engaging dialogue. The writers burdened their actors with trying to bring life to these 2-dimensional characters. Dialogue or scenes often didn't ring true - like when Enda does his impression of Elvis or when Moya can't explain to her daughter what more there is to marriage.

Scenes were long and empty, almost as if trying to stretch out the limited substance. Character development was shallow and fell short on insight. I don't feel I got the emotional payoff in the end for some of the more intense scenes - instead it felt manipulative. Technically, there were continuity and questionable editing issues, which weakened the movie.

Bottom line - it didn't have a consistent ring of authenticity about it!

I would just like to reply to the previous negative comment that was made about this film. I happen to love Malcolm McDowell and I think this film is one of his best works, not stiff and pretentious at all. I think it was a great adaptation to Joseph O'Conner's play, which I also happened to see a few years ago when I lived in Boston. I was able to relate to the plot a lot because I come from a family, although not Irish, that is dysfunctional in a way as well. I think others have a good opportunity to relate to this film too because it is full of genuine emotion. There was also a good number of Flogging Molly songs which was really enjoyable to hear especially in the dancing scene in the family's backyard.

While I don't agree with all the comments stating that it was a fantastic movie, it did have some very good moments to it. I thought the cinematography was lacking in many areas where it could have been very creative. I felt like I was watching the play, not a movie with endless possibilities of angles and lighting. However, I was unexpectedly drawn into this dysfunctional family where nothing was as it seemed. There was some good laughs and heartfelt moments, but the best for me was the music. With sounds of Flogging Molly and Susanna Hoffs in the background, it created a perfect mood throughout, transporting me to the streets of Ireland. This is definitely a soundtrack I will be purchasing when it comes out.

I love dysfunctional family dramas, but only when they're done well. Many are not, simply because I don't buy the fact that it's a real family and they never seem to have that natural family connection and it just never sells me. Maybe it's because I'm European myself, and can relate to this kinda family more, but I bought this hook, line and sinker. The acting was amazing, and the banter between siblings was so spot on, I was really impressed. It felt like the director really put care and love into this project. It's not a mind blowing piece of cinema, but it's definitely a heartfelt and actually pretty fun movie. It's definitely worth a watch, oh and it has a great soundtrack! Flogging Molly FTW!