It’s impossible not to think of Richard Linklater’s Before Sunrise: two young strangers, Charlie and Jace, sit beside one another in a library at Trinity College Dublin and then wander around on Halloween night, trading confidences that grow more intimate as the city blurs into the cinematographer Fionnuala McCormack’s enchanting neon version of the capital.
Donncha Gilmore’s wildly impressive debut borrows that film’s belief in the power of discourse: it’s a nuanced conversation that is almost entirely omitted from dialogue around one of the film’s reveals. The script feels lived-in, spontaneous and unguarded.
Liath Hannon is tremendous as Charlie, a determined, guarded aspiring film-maker whose footage projects her inner life. Adam Lunnon-Collery’s Jace, another revelation, is gawkily sincere, a rugby player at the margins, not really belonging and not speaking out either. Their chemistry is the film’s engine: like Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, they build a bond through smalltalk and banter, until the night yields a memory that will linger for cast and viewer.
Gilmore allows the film to wander romantically – lovely long takes, with textured Super 8 inserts and pillow shots that Yasujiro Ozu might admire – yet never lets the pace slack.
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The digressions form unexpected poetry or cultural kitsch that serve the two compelling main characters well. There is an indie flavour, an echo of Sean Baker’s empathetic gaze, and the perfume of sincere 1990s-era Sundance that keeps the film personable rather than indie schmindie.
Halfway, a narrative swerve sends the story into darker territory. There are more revelations to come, none of which unsettles the evening’s easy charm. Rather, they open the film up to poignant questions about sexual desire and how societal expectations can warp what we truly want.
The rugby jocks are a little broadly drawn. But everything else is note-perfect, including a magical soundtrack featuring such promising Irish artists as Evie, Echo Northstar, NewDad and Banríon.
In cinemas from Friday, September 19th
