The cast in this post-apocalyptic fare are brilliant... the story itself has so many opportunities to bring itself out of its very mundane direction, but very few are ever exploited.
There are themes of Irish history, innate violence, self destructiveness, delusion, illusion and brutality etc etc, the elemental fibres that channel and should give momentum to the narrative of this 'not-so-genre' piece. They are there, but seem to be more a part of the everyday townscape rather than a juxtaposition against it.
Ellen page is always worth watching (despite comments elsewhere), and it is her work, along with Sam Keeley's, that just pushes this film over the line. They and the rest of this fine cast, work to bring characterisation and depth to a script and direction that is lacking in both.
The slow pace and melancholic palette are not out of place. The rural suburban set is also suitably shambolic, but interesting nonetheless. The costuming and make-up are well crafted, with just enough gore, veins and brains splattered about.
Ultimately the film is not just about zombies and politics, but wants to ask questions about the human condition. But for this to be successful, it needed to have dynamics, it needed to have a directors bag with more experience in it, better production and editing, and above all, an understanding of how to approach and successfully create a narrative that is succinct, self aware and to the subject.
Not an amorphous ball of ideas and body parts rolling aimlessly down the cobble-stones of a provincial Irish road.
The film does work on some levels but not on the ones it needs to. Nevertheless I hope more of this slow-cooking narrative, not served up on a trowel fare, is coming our way...
There are themes of Irish history, innate violence, self destructiveness, delusion, illusion and brutality etc etc, the elemental fibres that channel and should give momentum to the narrative of this 'not-so-genre' piece. They are there, but seem to be more a part of the everyday townscape rather than a juxtaposition against it.
Ellen page is always worth watching (despite comments elsewhere), and it is her work, along with Sam Keeley's, that just pushes this film over the line. They and the rest of this fine cast, work to bring characterisation and depth to a script and direction that is lacking in both.
The slow pace and melancholic palette are not out of place. The rural suburban set is also suitably shambolic, but interesting nonetheless. The costuming and make-up are well crafted, with just enough gore, veins and brains splattered about.
Ultimately the film is not just about zombies and politics, but wants to ask questions about the human condition. But for this to be successful, it needed to have dynamics, it needed to have a directors bag with more experience in it, better production and editing, and above all, an understanding of how to approach and successfully create a narrative that is succinct, self aware and to the subject.
Not an amorphous ball of ideas and body parts rolling aimlessly down the cobble-stones of a provincial Irish road.
The film does work on some levels but not on the ones it needs to. Nevertheless I hope more of this slow-cooking narrative, not served up on a trowel fare, is coming our way...
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