Black Irish

I attended the World Premiere of "Black Irish" at the Hamptons International Film Festival. Initially, the blurb in the program guide suggested a fairly formulaic coming-of-age drama. But looks can be deceiving, and the synopsis just barely scratches the surface of what is, in reality, one of the most complex, rich, and heartwarming stories I've seen in quite some time. Remember those drawings in art class? The ones where the page is covered with black crayon and as you scrape off the outer layer you find multicolored wonders underneath? That's the most apt description that can be applied to "Black Irish." Because, as you'll discover, nothing is at it seems. And that is the singular achievement of Brad Gann, directing from his own script, with an ensemble cast that lends such passion to the material that I left the theater shaking my head in awe.

Webster's defines "hero" as, "one that shows great courage, an object of extreme admiration and devotion." It's hard to grow up without one, especially as a teenager in hardscrabble South Boston. Often the father possesses the traits a boy needs to survive those difficult years and prepare for the world he's about to enter. An older brother will usually suffice in cases where Dad is absent or unable or unwilling to fit the bill. Many coming-of-age stories place a teacher or clergyman in this position. But someone always appears, the boy grows up, he moves on, and they all live happily ever after. But what if all fail or don't show up to the table? "Black Irish" poses that question, and more. So much more.

Meet the McKays. Brendan Gleeson is Desmond, the father who doesn't quite qualify as hero due to years of heavy drinking and wallowing in self-pity, a legend in his own mind but not to his family. Tom Guiry is Terry, the older brother who's headed down a path of violence and self-destruction not unlike his father, giving up the hero role in the process. Sister Kathleen (Emily Van Camp), pregnant, wants little to do with the chaos around her. Amidst all this, Melissa Leo is Margaret, the mother who tries to hold it all together at the risk of losing her own somewhat sane self along the way. And our protagonist, 16 year-old Cole, is stunningly portrayed by Michael Angarano, as the boy who yearns for that moral compass that he needs to help guide the way into adulthood.

"Black Irish" takes us along on young Cole's search, and as we emotionally invest ourselves in his quest, we are at turns confused and occasionally amused, as is he, but mostly we hurt. To say that we feel his pain does not do justice to a story that is, at its heart, real life. And this is the true surprise of this film. These characters are far from one dimensional, the reality far from the clichéd impression even the paragraph above might suggest. There were audible gasps at the numerous twists and turns that Gann has infused into this shockingly brilliant script, no less than 12 years in the making and 30 rewrites along the way, as he indicated in the Q&A following the screening. And just when you think you know these people, just as you relax when the film seems to enter territory in which we feel comfortable, something happens. We discover that those we thought were cold and distant have a heart, a vulnerability and tenderness conveyed by Gleeson and Guiry that left me dumbfounded. Those we thought were soft and sweet, innocent and vulnerable, have a soft, fuzzy animal inside ready to turn vicious when backed into a corner, as Leo, VanCamp, and Angarano all exhibit along the way.

In the Q&A, Gann mentioned VanCamp's long-running portrayal of Amy on TV's "Everwood" as the inspiration for her being cast in this role. Fans will not be disappointed, and those unfamiliar with this actor's ability to bring nuance to what could otherwise be a stock performance will be wowed. Guiry lends the film some of the most heart wrenching surprises, as his ability to turn moods on a dime is unparalleled. Leo carves out new territory, again, in a role that could have been tired and worn in the hands of a lesser actor. She truly shines. And Gleeson does a star turn in a magnificent performance that, and I rarely use this term, is Oscar-worthy. Finally, Angarano is perfectly cast in the role of the quintessential underdog, in what I believe is the performance of his career. No young actor today has the ability to say so much with his eyes and facial expressions, and as the boy who becomes father to the man he sets a new standard for others who follow to live up to.

"Black Irish" carves a new benchmark in the coming-of-age genre. Because it is so much more than that. The audience cheered at the end of the screening here. It was a response I've not heard at any of the 70+ films I've seen at 7 festivals this year. It is deserving of your time, and will truly touch your heart as it did mine.

What makes "Black Irish" specially valuable is the quality of the protagonist, Cole McKay. He embodies a wonderfully believable, realistic, and valuable example of virtue.

Popular psychomythology tells us that all teenagers are a mess; as even Anna Freud claimed: "to be normal during the adolescent period is by itself abnormal". The wholly credible figure of Cole McKay put the lie to this claim. He's a person with solid common sense who respects his family and community, who knows the difference between right and wrong -- and is willing to back up his knowledge up with hard, mature decisions.

Studies show that 80% of American adolescents experience "generally positive moods and harmonious relations with their parents and peers" (see: D. Offer et alii, "Adolescent and Family Health" 2003). That's fact. That's Cole McKay who's factually & intelligently willing to fight for and to try to keep constructing this harmony with tough love for his messed-up, bad-seed brother, respect for his ambiguous mother, insightful care for his kind sister and, specially, for his wounded, Vietnam-veteran dad. Who's almost lost the best things he's ever achieved in his life. But not his son. Who binds the family with a love that releases, harmonizes, and illuminates those nearest and dearest to him.

The poetry of baseball is the key to Cole's strength. Why? The game's coherence anchors his moral values; as Bill Veek once said: "Baseball is an island of surety in a changing world." And, for Cole, it provides that energy of decency which love of the game can still provide.

"Black Irish" is a great film because it has an affection for its setting and its characters. Despite having some tough subject material, it left me with a somewhat warm and fuzzy feeling.

Normally when writing a review, it is customary to give a short synopsis of the plot to let readers know if it is a film that they would be interested in seeing. But "Black Irish" isn't that kind of movie. It's all about the characters, the McKay family. The McKay's aren't doing very well. In fact, their family is more or less in shambles. Katie (Emily VanCamp) is pregnant and unmarried, which causes much friction between her and her mother Margret (Melissa Leo). Terry (Tom Guiry) is a violent, out-of-control menace who is about to end up in prison, or dead, which ever comes first. Desmond (Brendan Gleeson) is struggling to earn enough money for his family while drowning his sorrows in alcohol (one of which being a tragic secret). Margret is trying to save face by believing this family is "normal," which it is not. Caught in the middle of it all is Cole (Michael Angarano), who's merely trying to stay afloat.

Therein lies its problem. Movies that sacrifice plot for characters are not bad, provided that its characters are interesting enough and portrayed with good performances (which "Black Irish" is filled with). But Brad Gann doesn't see his movie that way (which is kind of surprising, seeing as he wrote and directed it). It seems as if he made the film to have some underlying story or theme to connect the stories (other than the fact that all of the principal characters are related). Problem is, there isn't any.

Not that this makes "Black Irish" a bad film. It's actually very good. Credit goes to Gann for creating a great sense of atmosphere, and knowing the meaning of the word "subtlety," and how to use it. Nothing is heavy-handed like a sledgehammer as in mainstream films, yet it's not infinitesimally subtle like some of those intellectual films on the opposite end of the spectrum. "Black Irish" is smack dab in the middle.

The performances are great all around. The best performances go to Michael Angarano and Brendan Gleeson. Angarano is perfect as the conflicted, young man who is our window into the McKay family. The subtlety in his performance matches perfectly with Gann's approach. Cole is our window into what's left of the McKay family. Angarano plays Cole not as a film character, but as a normal kid. It's not easy to do, and because (when done well) it is so like real life, the performances often go unrecognized. Brendan Gleeson is great, too. He shows more dramatic skill than he's been able to in other, more mainstream roles. Desmond is a man who has lost everything, but is trying to do what he can, even if that means sinking to levels that are just tragic. The scenes he shares with Angarano are some of the film's best; his discussions about the birds and the bees are laugh-out-loud hilarious (which is especially surprising since this is not a comedy). The other actors are great as well, especially Tom Guiry as the "out-of-control" Terry, whom everyone seems to have given up on. This is interesting because while this hurts Terry (but doesn't show this to anyone), he doesn't know how to stop his downward spiral. You know the mark of a talented actor if they can create a good performance out of an undeveloped character, which is the case with the other members of the family (minus Cole and Desmond), if only slightly.

"Black Irish" is a great film to watch, and it's a shame that it didn't get a wider distribution, because it's really a great movie. Imperfect, but still well worth a watch.

My rating: PG-13 for some language and a scene of brief violence.

I thought for sure that Black Irish was going to be like Southie packed with crime. Turns out this movie goes for a deeper more troubling look at turmoil within in a family. That's what made this one so good. You've got the good brother who is a baseball star who has to live in the shadow of what his no good brother does as a low level street punk. The teenage sister gets knocked up bringing more shame to the family. The father is a tortured man down on his luck with a history of failure. The mother is the bread winner trying to hold the family together. All in all it's not an uplifting movie to watch. It does have heart and great acting. A gem of a movie to see.

What an excellent movie. With surprises all around. It would have been so very easy to make this exactly what was expected of it - a mediocre Indie Drama about a typical dysfunctional American family, with this one happening to be Irish and from Southie. What we get instead is one that fell through the cracks, as it went right to DVD. The critics and distributors missed this one. Had someone besides the author believed in it and packaged it right - it would have been a hit. It is well written, well acted, with several unexpected turns toward the Light - by multiple characters facing their own dilemma. The kind of differences that separate the bland from the sublime. I'm speaking of subtleties not the spectacular. So if you go in looking for the spectacular - you'll miss the supernatural. Which is almost always, subtle. It even manages a happy ending, which is tricky at best with a story like this. Well done all.

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