The Runway (2010)

In the 1980s, the small Irish town of Mallow, in County Cork, witnessed an odd story: a Mexican private plane heading to Shannon, Ireland, got lost in the heavy mist and ran out of fuel. The pilot, captain Rubén Ocaña, found the town of Mallow and made a dramatic emergency landing on the town's racetrack. The plane owner, an important Mexican business man, followed his trip and left Ocaña the task to save the plane, which was practically undamaged. Ocaña remained in Mallow until a runway was built next to the racetrack. In the meantime, he became a local celebrity in Mallow and was invited to participate in the town's annual celebration (which were taking place when his plane landed), and the town gathered to witness him fly when the runway was finally finished. The story of the Mexican pilot who landed in Mallow became a fun anecdote, and inspired Irish filmmaker to make a film about it, "The Runway", which only takes the core Ocaña's adventure as basis to tell a story of two different persons who become the best of friends.

Set in the 1980s "The Runway" is the story of Paco (Jamie Kierans), a smart 9 years old kid who lives in the small town of Dromeleen in County Cork, where nothing special ever happens. Paco is the only son of Grace (Kerry Condon), and he has never known his father, though knowing that he is in Spain, Paco is decided to learn Spanish. One night, Paco listens that something has crashed in the hills near his house, and discovers that a plane has made an emergency landing there. The plane has only one pilot, Ernesto (Demián Bichir), who can only speak Spanish, so Paco helps him out and takes him home. Ernesto turns out to be a Colombian pilot, and while he has lived a colorful life, Paco's translation convinces the town of Dromeleen that it's important to help Ernesto return home. The town, stagnated in an economic depression, suddenly finds new life when they receive the mission of building a runway for the plane. And in the meantime, a friendship will born between the tough Colombian pilot and the little kid.

Taking only the concept of a Latinamerican pilot landing in a forgotten Irish town, director Ian Power develops a story that, while being a pretty basic tale of friendship at its core, is imbued with a heartfelt warm and a whimsical tone that elevates it from the rest. Certainly, Ian Power isn't discovering anything new in "The Runway", as the story has all the necessary elements its premise could deliver: the cultural clash and the fish out of water element, the revitalization of the forgotten town, the arrival of a father figure for the lonely kid and of course, a blooming love story. Nevertheless, Power plays all the right notes in his construction of a family comedy, managing to make the movie to feel fresh and vibrant despite its apparently formulaic craftsmanship. And the key for this is the way Power develops his set of characters, the situations they face, and the relationships between them. While Ernesto and Paco are the core of the story, every secondary character receives enough attention to create a well developed group.

The real strength in "The Runway" is found in the great skill director Ian Power shows in his storytelling. With a lighthearted tone and a perfect timing for comedy, Power weaves a charming story of friendship that unveils smoothly in all its simplicity. Like an old time comedies, "The Runway" is made up by a series of improbable situations, beginning with the plane crashing (which as said above, actually happened). And yet, Power avoids making it an artificial or shallow. He grounds it heavily in reality, and while lighthearted, it does briefly touches on the unemployment and boredom lived in the town, as well as in the troubles that Ernesto faces in Colombia. Power gives space to his characters to grow, and that's where this sensation of realism comes. Nevertheless, the highlight of the film is the extraordinary work of cinematographer P.J. Dillon, who gives "The Runway" a beautiful warm look that perfectly captures the tone of the story, and gives the film a decidedly Irish atmosphere.

As written above, the heart of "The Runway" is in its characters, and the cast who brings them to life is particularly of great quality. The young Jamie Kierans shines in the film as little Paco, and makes a remarkable performance for his young age as the kid so eagerly in need of a friend that goes to a great length to protect the foreign stranger. Mexican actor Demián Bichir is also pretty good as the Colombian pilot Ernesto, though he is certainly overshadowed by his young costar. Actress Kerry Condon shines in her role as Paco's mother, showcasing not only her great beauty, but also a natural timing for comedy. Unfortunately, Condon's screen time is very limited, and could had been explored better. Veteran actor James Cosmo plays Sutherland, an old engineer who always gives Paco a hard time, but who becomes more involved with his community when he begins to repair the plane. Another highlight is Donncha Crowley's scene stealing performance as the bumbling mayor of Dromoleen, more interested in public relations than on actually helping.

Ian Power's "The Runway" isn't exactly a groundbreaking comedy film, neither in its visual style nor on its story. It's actually a mix of drama and comedy done in a quite classic style of storytelling; perhaps one a bit too traditional for its own sake, but one that works nonetheless. Originality isn't one of the film's virtues, and yet, this apparent lack of originality is fully compensated by something that can only be described as an enormous amount of heart. In its simplicity, "The Runway" aims purely for emotions, and succeeds in its attempt without any obvious sign of cheap emotional manipulation. Certainly, ever since its origins film has been all about manipulating the viewer's emotions; but director Ian Power, by just letting his characters drive the film, manages to make this manipulation invisible, accessible and enjoyable. It could be said that Power doesn't dare to go beyond with his film to challenge the genre or reinventing the wheel; but in the end, "The Runway" has a defined goal and it achieves it without problem. It entertains.

Lighthearted, whimsical and decidedly Irish, Ian Power's "The Runway" is an old school melodrama about two different souls who find each other and make a bond. It's also a story about a town waking up again, and finally, a tale of breaking cultural barriers. In "The Runway", Power offers an optimist and uplifting story that seems to state that the idyllic Ireland so often seen in movies is not to be found on its landscapes landscapes or its past, but on its people. In the end, the people, regardless of their origin, becomes the center of "The Runway", as a group of unemployed workers help a plane to fly again. "The Runway" is a simple story told in a very simple way, but sometimes simplicity is the key.

7/10
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The Secret of Roan Inish (1994)

Selkies, mythological creatures found in Faroese, Icelandic, Irish, and Scottish folklore, perfectly represent how important was the sea for such cultures. Having their origin in Pictish or Celtic myths, selkies are marine shapeshifters, they are seals able to shed their skins to show off their human form. Stories of selkies interacting with humans are common in seaside towns, though often the stories concerning them are romantic tragedies. This is because selkies can only return to their seal form by wearing their skin again, and if they lose it, they are unable of returning home. Given these conditions, their romantic liaisons with humans in the stories are particularly complicated. Rosalie K. Fry's novel, "Secret of the Ron Mor Skerry" is a story dealing with this kind of relationships, as it deals with the selkies legends and their relationship with Scottish seaside towns. With a change of setting to Ireland and the new title of "The Secret of Roan Inish", American filmmaker John Sayles offers his particular vision of the selkie legend.

Set in the 1940s, "The Secret of Roan Inish" is the story of Fiona Coneely (Jeni Courtney), a young girl living with her father in a big city in post-War Ireland. Her father Jim (Dave Duffy) is having a hard time after Fiona's mother died, and is often depressed at pubs. Convinced that this is no life for Fiona, she is sent with her grandparents who live in a seaside town. Living with them, she gets closer to her grandfather Hugh (Mick Lally), who tells her stories about her family's past in Roan Inish, a small island near Donegal which has a strong, mythical link to the Coneely family story: legend says they descend from a beautiful selkie woman. Unfortunately, the Coneelys were forced to evacuate Roan Inish during the War's years, and the island became a reminder of a tragic past, as during the evacuation Fiona's baby brother Jamie (Cillian Byrne) was lost at the sea. Intrigued by all this information, Fiona decides to visit Roan Inish with her grandfather, and in one of those trips, she begins to suspect that her little brother Jamie may still be alive.

Adapted to the screen by director John Sayles himself, "The Secret of Roan Inish" is a family film that works as a fairy tale, with Fiona's attempt to find her brother being the motor of the film. However, it is also a story of rediscovering traditions, with Fiona getting in touch with the life the Coneelys left in Roan Inish. The screenplay is filled with a desire to embrace the past and return to it, as in her adventure to discover her brother's fate she also reconnects with her ancestral land. The stories her grandfather Hugh tells are memories from that mythical past in which the connection with the land and the sea was stronger. Sayles uses the figure of the selkie to symbolize this connection, and Fiona's quest to find her brother becomes also a quest to discover her own identity, lost amidst the sea of time and progress. Built up as a fairy tale, or better said, as a legend, "The Secret of Roan Inish" explores this discovery with a children's point of view, open to fantasy and imbued with a great sense of wonder.

At the helm of "The Secret of Roan Inish", John Sayles opts for a slow pace, a strongly visual narrative and most importantly, a mythical atmosphere, achieving pretty much a feeling akin to that of listening to legends or tall stories. With a remarkable work by cinematographer Haskell Wexler, Sayles captures beautiful images from rural landscapes in County Donegal, Ireland, which contribute to the rich atmosphere of magic and legend the movie has. By exploiting the natural beauty of his location, Sayles brings to life a mythical Ireland in which legends are true. However, all this is done with a restrained, subtle approach that treats its subject matter with great seriousness. While a fantasy film, it's not spectacular; and while a children's film, it's not simplistic. It treats its audience with intelligence, and manages to narrate a children's story without a sense of shallowness or artificiality. However, despite building up a powerful atmosphere of legend, at times this mythical tale fails to engage.

The cast is for the most part good, specially the young ones. As the lead character Fiona, Jeni Courtney is remarkable as the plucky girl full of curiosity and stubborn willpower, set to discover the secrets of her ancestral home. "The Secret of Roan Inish" is completely told from her perspective, and she manages to portray that mix of naiveté and sense of wonder that her character requires. As her grandfather Hugh, Mick Lally amazingly captures the spirit of an oral storyteller, and his narrative of the Roan Inish legends is a great pleasure to listen. Eileen Colgan plays her wife Tess, though her delivery is a tad too hammy and stereotypical for her own good. As Fiona's brother Jamie (seen in flashbacks), Cillian Byrne is quite natural and believable in his delivery, quite a feat for his young age. Perhaps the weakest link would be Fergal McElherron, who plays Jeni's ancestor (also seen in flashbacks) who is saved by a female Selkie (Susan Lynch), whom easily overshadows him with a strongly emotional though silent performance.

In "The Secret of Roan Inish", director John Sayles seems set to capture the sensation of listening to ancient Celtic legends, and for the most part he succeeds, particularly in the several flashbacks that detail the tall tales grandfather Hugh tells to Fiona. The whole atmosphere of myth, the slow pace, the lyric beauty of the images coupled with Mick Lally's pleasant narrative perfectly convey the idealized, romantic view of old Ireland that Sayles (an American of Irish descent) wants the audience to long for. However, this effect is perhaps less successful in Fiona's own adventure, not because of lack of atmosphere, but because of an anti-climatic resolution. Sayle's narrative style is, while slow and restrained, completely appropriate for the kind of children's tale he is telling, treating his young characters with intelligence and developing a mythical tone. The problem is that as the conclusion is reached, the magic and atmosphere are somewhat lost in a quite anti-climatic finale. Its last third, where all loose ends are tied, is surprisingly unengaging.

This doesn't mean it's a bad ending, just a slightly disappointing one. Given its mythical tone, Fiona's adventure could had required a bit more of flavor. However, despite this minor quibble, John Sayles' "The Secret of Roan Inish" succeeds in making a children's film that is neither patronizing nor superficial, and that certainly has appealing for mature audiences as well. A portrait of an Ireland vibrant with magic, "The Secret of Roan Inish" seems to claim for a return to the past, to the purity of origin, and the spiritual connection to the homeland. Since Sayles is of Irish decent, it's not hard to see where he is going, and the visual beauty of his painting of the romantic Irishness he longs for, could pretty much symbolize the romantic homeland we all long for.

7/10 
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Irish Destiny (1926)

In 1916, a group of Irish republicans mounted an insurrection with the goal of ending centuries of British rule over Ireland and the creation of an independent Irish Republic. The Easter Rising, as it came to be known, was quickly suppressed but its influence was enormously significant: it became the seed for the declaration of Independence in 1919 and the subsequent war against the United Kingdome of Great Britain. The Irish War of Independence lasted from 1919 to 1922, and resulted in the separation of Ireland from the United Kingdom and the instauration of the Republic of Ireland. Naturally, the Irish War of Independence became an important theme for the arts of the new republic, and cinema was not the exception. While the war took its toll in the nascent Irish film industry, the year of 1926 saw the release of the first film inspired by the war of independence: George Dewhurst's "Irish Destiny". Considered lost for many years, the film was rediscovered in 1991, offering a glimpse of the Republic of Ireland's early years.

With the Irish War of Independence as background, "Irish Destiny" is the tale of Denis O'Hara (Paddy Dunne Cullinan), a young man leading a normal life in a small Irish town. Denis is in love with the Moira Barry (Frances Macnamarra), who is the town's teacher. However, he is also aware of the situation of his country so, when given the chance, Denis decides to join the Irish Republican Army in the war of independence. As a member of a group of Irish Volunteers, Denis fights under the orders of Captain Kelly (Kit O'Malley) against the British Army branch known as the Black & Tans. The discovery of plans for a raid at the IRA headquarters, prompts Captain Kelly to send Denis to Dublin and warn the heads of the movement. So, Denis rushes to Dublin in order to fulfill his mission, but in the meantime, the villainous Gilbert Beecher (Brian Magowan) begins to court Moira. To complicate things, Denis gets shot by the Black & Tans, and ends up wounded at a Dublin's hospital. Everyone at home now believes him death, much to the dismay of his mother (Daisy Campbell) and Moira.

Written and produced by Isaac J. Eppel, "Irish Destiny" is at its core, a pretty basic melodrama of romance and heroism during wartime, designed to exalt the ideals of the war of Independence and the values of Irish people (in which of course rests the Irish destiny). Denis, an everyman representing the promising Irish youth, decides to put duty to his country as his main priority and risks his life and happiness in order to do the right thing. While this may sound like bordering propaganda, Eppel's story never tries to be anything more than a harmless tale of romance and adventure. In fact, this unwillingness to go further is actually a problem of the screenplay of "Irish Destiny", as it feels too archaic, even for its time. Interestingly, the British army is not really demonized, and it could even be argued that they receive a fair treatment. The true villains in Denis' life are actually fellow Irishmen: Beecher and his gang of poteen-makers, whom indifferent to the cause, just take advantage of the situation for their own benefit.

Directed by British filmmaker George Dewhurst (who would direct the very first version of "Sweeney Todd" that same year), "Irish Destiny" is particularly notable because of one single reason: the use of real footage from the burnings of Cork in 1920, and of the Customs House in 1921. While narratively those events are only referred to set the historical time-frame of the film, the images shown work as a time capsule from Dublin during the war, and are of invaluable for historical reasons. Also of great interest are the vistas of Dublin that Dewhurst and cinematographer Joe Rosenthal capture, specially during Denis' arrival to the city: a series of scenes following Denis riding a motorcycle through Dublin's streets, where Trinity College and St. Stephen's Greens can be spotted. Other than that, Dewhurst's film is pretty traditional in its approach to melodrama, and does little to improve its simplistic screenplay. Though there are some interesting ideas scattered through the film, for the most part the narrative is sloppy and static.

Acting in "Irish Destiny" is a mixed bag: though there are pretty good performances in the film, there are some that are not that lucky, and amongst them is unfortunately the one from the film's protagonist, Paddy Dunne Cullinan. As Denis, Cullinan looks wooden and stiff, and his emotional range is pretty limited. While he looks the part of the hero, his acting leaves a lot to be desired, and this severely compromises the film's success. As her love interest, Frances Macnamarra is slightly better, not much of an improvement though she certainly looks more natural than her stiff counterpart. A better performance is the one given by Brian Magowan, as the vicious Beecher. While his role is certainly one-dimensional, Magowan adds a lot of personality to his character with his facial gestures. It's not difficult to buy him as a sly and treacherous fella. In the supporting roles, Kit O'Malley and Evelyn Henchey are remarkably good. Henchey in particular is a much more natural and attractive presence in the film than Macnamarra.

Probably the main problem of "Irish Destiny" is how simple it is, and this is taking into account its release date. While by 1926 silent cinema had reached the peak of its art, George Dewhurst's war melodrama feels as a movie 10 years older than its true age, from a time where cinema's language was still in development. Static and terribly stage-bound, its narrative is pretty conventional to the point of being dull. Though as written above, a lot of the blame must go to the Eppel's screenplay, which follows the pretty basic pattern of American's early adventure films, complete with the last minute rescue. Character development is minimal, as they remain the classic archetypes of adventure films: good looking hero, damsel in distress, and treacherous villain. Perhaps more care while developing the story would had improved the results, as the film is not entirely without redeeming qualities. Unfortunately, those good ideas are lost in a movie that even for 1926 can't help but feeling dated and a tad archaic.

Invaluable as a historical record of Ireland's history, yet marred by an unsophisticated and crude narrative, George Dewhurst's "Irish Destiny" is a difficult film to judge. On one hand it's filled with some amazing shots of 1920s Dublin (not to mention its use of historical footage), yet on the other its stylistic problems are undeniable. In the end, the best recommendation would be to approach this piece of Irish history with an open mind, and expect, perhaps not a classic masterpiece of cinema, but a window to a turning point in the history of Ireland. While as a war melodrama it may fall flat, as a time-capsule and a memory of the city of Dublin, "Irish Destiny" is a magnificent piece of work. For all the movie's flaws, the image of Denis riding through Grafton street in his motorbike has an undeniably haunting beauty.

7/10
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Watch "Irish Destiny" (1926)

Ondine (2009)

The sea, source of life and nourishment for humanity since the beginning of times, has been the source for countless stories, myths and legends that showcase how deeply tied we are to it. From the Greek sirens to the Japanese Kappa, a wide variety of water spirits have inhabited the imaginations of many cultures; and the fishing villages of Ireland were no exception. The Irish folklore has its very own aquatic nymph, drawn from the ancient Celtic myths: the Selkies, seal ladies that can temporarily become human by removing their seal coat. Mythical creatures present also in the folklore of Scotland, Wales and other Celtic regions; the Selkies have been the source of stories, songs, novels and of course, movies (1994's "The Secret of Roan Inish" being probably the best well known). In 2009, Irish filmmaker Neil Jordan, who has ventured to the realm of fantasy in movies such as "The Company of Wolves" and "Interview with the Vampire"; went back to his Irish roots with "Ondine", a film that took the Selkie legend to modern times.

"Ondine" is the story of Syracuse (Colin Farrell), a recovering-alcoholic Irish fisherman who one day catches a mysterious woman (Alicja Bachleda) in his fishing net. Confused and worried by this event, Syracuse tries to help the nearly-drowned woman, but she seems to present amnesia, being unable to remember her origin. Syracuse takes her home and tries to discover why was she in the sea but the woman, who calls herself Ondine, remains evasive, speaks with a strange accent and asks him to hid her from the world. Syracuse obliges to her request, and keeps her hidden in his grandmother's cottage. Back in the village, Syracuse visits his daughter Annie (Alison Barry), a precocious young girl with failing kidneys and wisdom beyond her years, who lives with Syracuse alcoholic ex-wife Maura (Dervla Kirwan). Suspecting that her father is up to something, Annie discovers Ondine at the cottage, and concludes that she must be one of the mythical Selkie women. Syracuse's luck seems to finally have changed for better, but shadows will rise over the fisherman and the lady he found at the sea.

Taking the Selkie myth to a modern day setting, writer Neil Jordan delivers a tale of romance and fantasy, spiced up with the mystery behind the identity of Ondine. With the coast of his natal Ireland as background, Jordan crafts a story that goes beyond the conventions of romantic melodrama and becomes a meditation on the duality of fantasy and reality. Ondine, with her ethereal beauty and disoriented behavior, is by all accounts a mythical creature of fantasy trapped in the village's reality. And to Annie (and later to Syracuse), she becomes a ray of light in the midst of the hardships they both have faced. Luck and fate are powerful concepts in the film, with Syracuse tormented by guilt, a sense of guilt that still haunts him in the shape of Annie's physical problems and his constant "bad luck". It could be argued that "Ondine" is a story of fantasy versus reality, but it's more about using the fortitude found in fantasy to face reality. Jordan's resolution to the mysteries of Ondine add to that concept, albeit maybe not in an entirely successful way.

Pretty much in tone with the screenplay's theme of fantasy and reality, Jordan creates a film that goes from beautifully shot images of natural beauty to the crude and raw portrait of a poor Irish seaside town. A well-known name in Asian cinema (having worked with Zhang Yimou and in every movie by Wong Kar-Wai), cinematographer Christopher Doyle captures the beauty and the darkness of both environments and creates overwhelming atmospheres that, particularly during the night scenes, convey that sense of fantasy in realism that Jordan was aiming for. Is it a realistic fantasy or a fantastic reality? The line is intentionally blurry as, following Annie and Syracuse, one is lead to wonder if Ondine is really a Selkie, but always with a doubt that prevents from fully accepting it. With class and even a certain tenderness, director Neil Jordan toys with this doubt and this mystery to give new life to the Selkies myth. As the conclusion arrives and the mystery grows, a sudden change of tone takes place that somewhat fails to work completely. But more on that later.

Colin Farrell stars as Syracuse, the cynical and lonely fisherman who desperately fights against his luck to put his life back on track. Farrell delivers a great performance, managing to capture the character's mixture of self-pity and guilt-ridden discomfort. This is a character at odds with himself, and Farrell nails it almost perfectly (he exaggerates a bit with his accent, I must say). There's also great chemistry between him and Polish actress Alicja Bachleda, who plays Ondine. Bachleda's work is effective, yet a tad simplistic, specially in contrast to Farrell's and Barry's. She exudes a powerful presence and an otherworldly beauty that nicely fits her character and makes her a force of nature, wild and untamed. However, she's limited (either by herself or the character) to just be there. The real highlight of the film is without a doubt young Alison Barry, who plays Syracuse's curious and witty daughter Annie. Barry steals every scene she's in, and with natural charm and talent becomes a bright spark of life for the film.

Working like a modern fairy tale during the first two thirds of its runtime, "Ondine" explores its themes with a nice slow pace, giving space to some character development and to build up the mystery surrounding Ondine's origins. However, it abruptly shifts gears during its last third, turning to an unexpectedly darker, noirish path that, while original and consistent with Jordan's themes (reality's darkness rearing its ugly head), it's handled rather clumsily; with a conclusion that feels rushed and poorly crafted. Don't get me wrong, it's not the twist per se what's clumsy (Jordan's writing is actually classy in that aspect), but the way it's handled. The sudden change of pace is so extreme that it even feels as if it had been done for a chapter in a TV series with a need to solve every loose ends quickly before the end. Some extra 15 minutes of runtime probably would had helped things to flow smoother. Nevertheless, this is certainly not something that could ruin entirely the movie, just a detail that makes it feel unsatisfying incomplete.

Despite its problems, Neil Jordan's "Ondine" is a beautiful romantic drama that takes the Selkies myth to craft something new and fresh. The way it handles real life difficulties such as Annie's health problems and Syracuse's alcoholic past is powerful, and the actors playing those roles do live up to the challenge. It's kind of a shame that Jordan's narrative gets lousy and hurried by the time it reaches its conclusion, as it truly has built a charming modern fable before that. Nevertheless, "Ondine" is enjoyable enough to survive that and more and, while probably not exactly on the level that could had reached, it's still a nice effort by its own account. In "Ondine", fantasy inspires hope, the longing for a better life and the actual search for it. Isn't that one of myth's purposes too? Jordan nails it in this beautiful, yet flawed, story.

7/10
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