Narrated by the Grim Reaper (Gabriel Byrne), 2009’s Perrier’s Bounty is an intriguing Irish film that mixes action and comedy within a crime story (all centred around a complex father/son relationship).
Written by Mark O’Rowe (who also scribed the entertaining 2003 flick Intermission) and directed by Ian Fitzgibbon, they thrust us into the life of protagonist Michael McCrea (Cilian Murphy), a flawed, complicated figure who just happens to be sleeping in the afternoon while two thugs, Ivan (Michael McElhatton – Roose Bolton in Game of Thrones) and Orlando (Don Wycherley), sit on his couch eating his pistachios. Henchmen to a dangerous gangster, Darren Perrier (Brendan Gleeson), the duo remind the recently woken man that he owes the crime boss a hefty sum that must be paid in four short hours.
Surrounded by an ever-complicated life, his female best friend Brenda (Jodie Whittaker), who lives one floor down, is struggling with her longtime boyfriend Shamie (Pádraic Delaney), while his father Jim (Jim Broadbent) arrives out of the blue and states that he is dying of cancer – the two have not spoken in some four years. Pushing them to the periphery while he deals with the more pressing problem of Perrier, he reaches out to a local drug dealer, Clifford (Domhnall Gleeson), as the man knows every low life in the city of Dublin. Getting directions to The Mull (Liam Cunningham – Davos Seaworth in Game of Thrones), a loan shark, he petitions him for some cash. Having none of it, instead, The Mull invites him to partake in a criminal venture with his buddy Dinny (Breffni McKenna), and Michael, desperate for any solution, agrees.
Mid robbery, they find a way to blackmail the homeowner, though that means the payoff will only come the next day. Panicking, Michael heads home to grab his gun (as the four hours have long since expired), only to realize that his firearm is gone. Checking with the ever-unstable Brenda, she says that she does not have it. Soon after, the heavies arrive, looking to break some bones and send a message. Luckily, Brenda does have the weapon and shoots Orlando dead (Ivan flees). His father then arrives to see the chaos, and the three are forced to work together to bury the body.
While doing the grave digging, his father divulges that he does not have cancer, but was visited by the Grim Reaper, who told him that he will die the next time he sleeps. His son does not buy into the ridiculous perspective, though his father is invested in his vision. Further complicating things, Perrier learns that Ivan and Orlando were actually lovers, and as a tribute to his grieving employee, he places a bounty on Michael and Brenda’s heads. Will Jim be able survive the prophecy made by the Grim Reaper? Will Michael and Brenda be able to evade the long reach of Perrier, or will the triumvirate fall by night’s end?
Bringing together a solid cast of Irish and English actors, the film thrives, in part, due to their solid performances. Gleeson is, as always, superb. His gangster’s quirks are unique, a good example being that he always seems melancholic in one way or another, usually after acting in a hasty manner. Though eloquent with his words, he is definitely not the type of man you would want to cross (and thankfully for us, not a cookie cutter villain). Murphy’s Michael is a bittersweet character who is filled with pain when it comes to his estrangement from his parents, while he is further burdened by the fact that he harbours a deep love for his best friend. Whittaker does a solid job matching Murphy’s complexity, as she is dangerously suicidal following the break-up from her twat of a boyfriend. Perhaps though, the best character comes from Broadbent. Fearing the wrath of the Reaper, he is well past his normal sleep patterns, resisting the most human of needs. He is full of quirks and bizarre habits, such as eating instant coffee, getting slapped or taking cocaine to fend off sleep. He is also a wildcard, as he has no fear of death – already expecting that the end is nigh. His complicated relationship with his son must also be mentioned, as it adds texture and heart to their flawed bond.
There are also some cleverly written running gags/themes that are nicely woven in. On top of it being narrated by the Grim Reaper, dogs play an interesting part in the story, while two city employees who clamp cars also pop up at unexpected times throughout the film.
An excellent little crime picture, Perrier’s Bounty follows the film traditions of the British Isle by fusing comedy, action, crime and death in more than fascinating ways (think anything Guy Ritchie, or films like Keeping Mum and Hot Fuzz – both reviewed on this site). With some dramatic emotional heft that pulls at your heartstrings, an intense ending that feels both surprising and fatefully inevitable, and a unique piece of narration that adds some philosophical thought to the movie, this is definitely worth a watch. Though some of you may feel disappointed that I did not provide some more detail as to what comes of these interesting personas, I’ll quote Death himself and say, “I’m afraid that’s somethin’ that remains to be seen, my friend. See, there’s certain things I like to leave obscure and enigmatic. And why? `Cause that’s me way, man. That’s me way”.