We may have mentioned before that Irish film certainly seems to be going through a slightly different phase when we discussed the wonder that is Calvary. Instead of examining issues that were inherently tied into our history and self-identity, Irish film has moved into a new era, concerning itself more with real human stories for the age we live in, we have moved away from the shackles of our identity, of how we deal with the issues of abuse and certainly have become far more experimental.
What is also very interesting is the amount of people who are willing to come to Ireland to work or willing to work with Irish writers and directors, like John Michael McDonagh, Martin McDonagh, Brendan and Domhnall Gleeson all in demand. Run & Jump for instance, though an Irish film, is directed by Steph Green, an American woman who has worked extensively in Ireland. Irish film is changing dynamic, is beginning to shape itself differently, is responding to the times around us and is really showing off our real talent to the world.
Run & Jump exemplifies this notion particularly well.
The film revolves around Vanetia, a young mother whose husband, Conor, is just released from hospital at the start of the film. Con has suffered a stroke which left him in a coma for a month and permanently changed his personality. Upon his release, an American doctor, Ted, is on hand as Con becomes part of his research project. Despite Vanetia’s attempt to put a sunny spin on the current life she is living, she must face facts that her home life has changed for good.
Over the course of his time in the house studying Con and helping with his speech and adjusting to his new life, Ted gets increasingly close to Vanetia, who is desperately trying to keep her house in order. She loves her husband, but knows that the same person she fell in love with is now gone. Her children have also taken Con’s illness quite badly and Ted seems to be the only person who thoroughly understands what she is going through. With a possible romance developing, Vanetia is forced to choose between her own wants and needs and that of her family.
Like the Irish films we talked about above, Run & Jump is one of those really nice pieces that is most definitely Irish but doesn’t concern itself too much with drawing attention to its filming location; this is most certainly a universal story. The story itself is incredibly sweet. Although Vanetia tries desperately to hang on to her former life, she knows this is gone and instead of just diving into the depths of depression, puts a sunny face on and gets on with it, which at times can be very difficult to watch. Her story is told through some flashbacks of what her previous life with Con was like, full of love and family time.
The performances from the cast in general are excellent; Maxine Peake as Vanetia is amazing, warm, full of life and laughter, dealing with some hard-hitting truths and realities. Will Forte as Ted puts in a little more of a sullen performance, but definitely paints the picture of the man in love. However, two outstanding turns come from Edward MacLiam, who plays Conor and Brendan Morris, who plays his on-screen son Lenny. Con is completely heartbreaking to watch, unsure of how to live a normal life now, not being able to remember those around him which Lenny seems to be taking this life change pretty badly.
You would be entirely forgiven for shedding a tear or two during this, it may actually break your heart at some points but overall, this is just a very sweet film. Well worth checking out.
