Lakelands review – hard-drinking Gaelic footballer shuts down after brutal beating – The Guardian

Masculinity in Eire is, like all over the place else, in a wobbly state – in accordance with this heart-on-sleeve debut characteristic a few Gaelic footballer too keen on the outdated craic. Éanna Hardwicke performs Cian, a dairy farmer, newbie sportsman and dedicated hedonist by no means sluggish to hit the pub after coaching. After roping two friends into one more nightclub bender, he’s subjected to a brutal alleyway beating that leaves him with concussion and struggling for his bearings in life.

With a laconic quip for each eventuality, Cian received’t speak in confidence to these round him – together with his agitated dad (Lorcan Cranitch), who is continually on his case on the farm – or be frank with himself in regards to the truth he’s struggling. His standing on the soccer staff, in addition to his eagerness to down, inhale or snort no matter is on provide, appear to imply extra to him than the prospect of everlasting injury. Which might be a disgrace, given there’s some sensitivity in his noggin, coaxed out by the return of Grace (Danielle Galligan), now a nurse in London; she and Cian had been a not-quite-item a number of years again.

Author-directors Robert Higgins and Patrick McGivney give their more and more introspective character research a straightforward swing at first. However it is a movie vulnerable to melancholy resignation when it lapses into silently observing the extra grizzled drinkers round these younger bucks, suggesting this could possibly be the way in which of issues; remaining affirmation is that Grace has come dwelling to take care of her father, who’s dying of liver failure. This dalliance with the prodigal daughter is maybe little bit of a cliche – prodding Cian in direction of self-awareness – however Hardwicke and Galligan carry out the dance with a lot allure. Fairly than heavy-handed life classes, they level with disarming simplicity the way in which to a recent new daybreak.

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