Darkness Shines Bright

From left to right, cinematographer Tommy Fitzgerald, Sean Adams, actress Emma Willis, writer/director Patrick Ryan and Filmizon’s Nikolai Adams

SLIFF Exclusive

It is not often that I am able to review a movie that claims to be an Irish Shakespearian Western, but that is simply, or perhaps complexly, what Patrick Ryan’s feature film directorial debut Darkness on the Edge of Town is.

The film pushes the envelope from the very beginning, with the first nine minutes containing absolutely no dialogue as a murder unfolds in an intricately cut and purposely fractured way. Much like in Shakespeare’s Othello, we know who is guilty of the crime from the very beginning. Our main character is Cleo Callahan (Emma Eliza Regan), whose sister has been murdered in a public bathroom. Her best friend, Robin O’Riley (Emma Willis) is the perpetrator. Revealing the murderer from the very beginning works to perfection, as we the audience know the truth, yet Cleo, who is out looking for vengeance, does not. This allows for the story to unfold slowly, giving the audience a chance to catch up on all of the information that was not given in those first few minutes. We witness the struggles the girls have with their families, or lack thereof, and begin to understand the trouble Cleo’s sister had gotten herself into. All of this leads to several very powerful scenes towards the end of the picture, leaving us with a strong film from beginning to end.

The picture fuses the Shakespearian tragedy beautifully with the classic western. It artistically encapsulates the two ideas in a very novel and fresh way, with the two leads being strong female figures instead of the typical leading men. There is plenty of meat on the bone for both women, providing them with some of the best dialogue that would usually be given to male action stars. Of course, all of this hinges on the two actresses pulling this off, and they do so brilliantly. The two very different characters are brought to life by Regan and Willis. Regan’s Cleo is the silent type, hellbent on revenge while still demonstrating the fragility and pain of a tough childhood. The scenes where she asks whether her sister ever mentioned her are particularly poignant. Willis’ Robin is the antithesis of Regan’s Cleo, being much more energetic, vocal, visual and clearly unhinged. Much like her counterpart, she is able to masterfully capture this complex character. Lastly, Brian Gleeson (son of actor Brendan Gleeson) does an excellent job as Robin’s brother Virgil. Their family dynamic is disturbing, to say the least, and the two actors do a splendid job bringing Ryan’s script to life.

The visuals must also be mentioned. Director Patrick Ryan and cinematographer Tommy Fitzgerald create countless striking scenes, some with vibrant colours such as the moments that unfold in the nightclub and bathroom; while others are filled with dreary washed-out blacks, including the evening shoot-out scene and much of the opening nine minutes. The scenic Irish countryside with its rolling hillsides and lush greenery serves to accentuate the stunning visuals.

Also, like many other Irish and British films, there are a few moments of subtle humour found within the very dark subject matter of the movie – two that stand out are the incompetent cop scene near the beginning and some of the frank dialogue shared between Robin and her mother at the dinner table. It is somewhat reminiscent of one of Hitchcock’s last efforts, Frenzy, which also used dark humour to lighten the mood.

Darkness on the Edge of Town is a solid addition to the Irish Shakespearean Western – oh, wait, this may be the first of its kind. It has taken two classic ideas and fused them together in a very original way to create a powerful and often times painful film that is definitely worth seeing. Make sure to set your sights on this modern reworking of the most ancient of tales, for it is well worth a shot.

Thanks to the miracle that is modern technology, this movie can already be seen online at:

US/Canadian iTunes – http://bit.ly/DarkiTunes
Amazon – http://amzn.to/1GZBoe9
Vimeo – https://vimeo.com/ondemand/darknessontheedgeoftown
Google Play – http://bit.ly/1Mfpftb
Time Warner Cable VOD

US/Canadian Netflix