Capital Letters

The treatment of newcomers in the "land of a thousand welcomes" is the subject of writer-director Ciaran O' Connor's remarkable debut feature. Ruth Negga is a revelation as Taiwo, an illegal immigrant who is brought to Ireland by human traffickers. Forced into prostitution in order to survive, she finds an unlikely friend in Kelly (Karl Sheils), a small time hood who tries to protect her from Dublin's horrifying underworld. Visually stunning and tautly told, Capital Letters is both an unflinching examination of Ireland's exploration of its immigrants as well as a tender and emotionally compelling love story.

Twice overlooked for awards at festival, Captial Letters is worth a second look.

STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning

Seizing a chance for freedom, Taiwo (Ruth Negga), an illegal immigrant in Dublin, escapes from her captors and flees into the modern, vibrant city, with her assailants hot on her back. She makes an unlikely friend in Keely (Karl Sheils) a small time hood who helps keep her one step ahead of the gangsters he's meant to be working for. But she can't elude capture forever, and it all builds up to end in a brutal re-uniting with her evil captors.

It's evident from the off set of director Ciaran O' Connor's debut piece that this is obviously a very low budget affair, that's run into some distribution problems outside of Ireland. But that's no reason to write off what is a superior little effort, jumping on the band wagon of drawing attention to the 'human trafficking' nightmare that's engulfing the UK at the moment. Early on, O' Connor makes a good use of atmosphere and silent tension as the trafficked women arrive in the back of a white van and then onto Taiwo escaping into the bustling, metropolitan jungle of modern Ireland. Lead actress Negga brings her character to life well, alone, vulnerable and unable to speak English in this vast landscape, with Sheils as the crook with a heart of gold who's her only means of surviving in this place. The film moves at the pace that it takes their relationship to develop perfectly, and brings each character's tender insecurities to life in a manner that keeps you riveted until things build up to their inevitably sad and devastating conclusion. Well worth watching. ****