Jerry Lynch: “You just don’t have the requisite Celtic soul, man.”
Like watching a magician shuffle a deck of cards (including jokers) into perfect numerical order, director John Crowley (Brooklyn) takes Mark O’Rowe’s screenplay, which consists of a whopping fifty-four characters (hence the jokers) and eleven separate storylines, weaving them together in wholly interesting ways to make Intermission (2003).
What is it about Irish screenwriters that gives them the ability to build these complex stories in clever ways? I really don’t have an answer, but like the works of brothers Martin and John Michael McDonagh, there is a unique essence in this narrative that avoids tropes, Crowley intersecting all of O’Rowe’s stories in an impressive way.
A dark comedy that has a little bit for everyone (especially if you like liberal doses of cynicism and Irish poetry – and by that, I mean plenty of potty mouth playfulness), you’ll meet Lehiff (Colin Farrell – In Bruges), a street level lowlife with anger issues who seemingly has a new scheme every few days. . . his first, playing on the emotions of a café waitress (Kerry Condon – Octavia in HBO’s Rome) looking for love.
There is also John (Cillian Murphy – 28 Days Later), a twenty-something grocery store clerk who constantly butts heads with his boss, Mr. Henderson (Owen Roe) – a guy who has let an ounce of power go to his head and loves to spout American lingo like, “. . .I will TCB, as they say in the States. I will ‘take care of business’.” John has stupidly tested his girlfriend, Deirdre (Kelly Macdonald – Margaret Schroeder in Boardwalk Empire), worried about her loyalty to him. . . instead of the plan working, she leaves him.
Deirdre’s sister, Sally (Shirley Henderson – Moaning Myrtle in the Harry Potter franchise), porting the beginnings of a mustache (characters often compare it to the more famed facial hair of Burt Reynolds or Tom Selleck), has let herself go (hence the facial hair) after her former beau left her in a rather shitty situation. Now she lives with her mom, Maura (Ger Ryan).
Meanwhile, a balding middle aged banker, Sam (Michael McElhatton – Roose Bolton in Game of Thrones), has decided to leave his wife, Noeleen (Deirdre O’Kane), for a much younger fling – a shocking revelation to a woman who was supposedly happily married for fourteen years.
Watching the streets is officer Jerry Lynch (Colm Meaney – Layer Cake), a beat cop who likes to cross the line when taking down petty criminals. He is approached by a burgeoning filmmaker, Ben Campion (Tomás Ó Súilleabháin), stuck in a dead end job – shooting fluff pieces for a local news feature called “Little Big City”. Hoping to convince his boss of doing a segment on the rough and tumble cop, he believes this could be his big break.
Also keep an eye out for a lonely chap named Oscar (David Wilmot – The Guard), a friend of John’s who cannot fathom that he let his gal go. There is also Mick (Brían F. O’Byrne – Million Dollar Baby), a bus driver who has recently lost his job following a conspicuous crash. . . blaming a young boy who threw a rock at his windshield – no one else saw the kid (meaning that those in charge think he is just making it up).
These are most of the important characters and their basic back stories, yet there is an overarching storyline that brings these people together. Expect robberies, a car chase, love, lust, revenge, and a bevy of other emotions and events to come into play. And, pay attention to every minute detail, for almost anything referenced will pop back up in a most entertaining and often unexpected way.
A humourous, edgy, ensemble piece, Intermission weaves comedy, crime, romance, and drama together to give the authenticity of a day in the life picture. The dialogue feels real, the camera work often resembles a documentary, and the narrative has all of the charm of life – fate, luck, chance, Murphy’s law, and a certain randomness all play into the piece. Plus, there is something special about watching a film where it feels like you are seeing about half of the known Irish actors working together in unison to create an independent work of art. Lastly, listen for “I Fought The Law” over the end credits. . . why, you may ask – because that is Colin Farrell singing it. This is no cover up, and there is most definitely no need to take an intermission, so make sure to see this hidden gem before you start feeling wistful for missing it.