Redemption of a Rogue

Dark humour, heartbreak and sadness. A wonderful handcrafted tale that is as far from Hollywood as you can get. I can't wait to see what Doherty does next.

I read that this movie cost around 100k to make. I've seen movies that cost multiples of this ( and then some ) and they wouldn't come close to this absolute gem. Money helps to be sure, but this proves that with the right script in the right directorial hands, anything is possible. Jimmy, are you going to kill yourself when it stops raining? Yes. I hope it doesn't stop raining. That little piece of dialogue is an absolute cracker, and totally in keeping with the rest of the script. The cast were magnificent, and the scene with Mary was a joy to behold. Kudos to the lighting throughout, and the editing was as good as it gets. This is well worth a watch.

I really enjoyed this movie, it was a great blend of comedy and drama. The surreal elements are just enough to work in harmony with the good directing. Even though the story of the prodigal son is well known, the movie gives us characters that are masterfully developed (both main and side characters). The story doesn't feel familiar at all because of the this fresh take on it. As an atheist i can promise you that there were no preachy moments in the movie. Any religious issues are there for the story or as part of the Irish culture. The soundtrack is amazing. I had never heard of such an interesting and successful mix of genres before.

The fact of the matter is - I honestly didn't have to force myself through this film. It's fresh, it's quietly emotional, it's genuinely funny, it's unique in its own way, and even as an atheist, I didn't feel bothered by the Biblical motives. Do give it a chance please - it's not even that long!

Great movie for adults to watch. Very funny catchlines, especially when from rural Ireland. Enjoyed it even more the second time round, and looking forward to watching it again ! Soundtrack is amazing.

How the hell did they shoot a movie that takes place in the rain for 45K? Saw this at Garden state film festival. Loved it. Truly funny and has some great music.

With themes touching on suicidal depression, child abuse and illness, disability, physical violence, death and biblical levels of sin and redemption - you might conclude this wasn't exactly a laugh-fest. However, the portrayal of those undeniably dark subjects is often framed by dry, 'gallows' humour, wrapped in occasional surreal dream imagery or some other imaginative visual take. There's no pretension here either - it's an indie film, but this is less art-house more rough-house after a night at the pub. I laughed out loud several times (to put that in context I am not unacquainted with depression myself, or indeed the real-life results of a suicide, there is a gulf of difference between laughing with these 'victims' and at them). The soundtrack is pretty decent if you're into alt-blues/indie-folk, there are some scenes where it almost descends into a psych-musical (I wouldn't have minded it going further down that road). Whilst the dark humour often works, and there is something approaching a positive take on redemption - there was, for me, also a prevalent undertone of near-nihilism - like the main protagonist - the film is navigating a perilous balancing act between hope and hopelessness. To counter this, the line: 'You can think of multiple reasons to die, but only need one reason to live' could be offered as the spiritual core - also, sometimes you just have to laugh at the absurdity of life.

A great script preformed by a brilliant cast. A Great look into rural Ireland and how no matter how long you go away for things never change but you can.

The movie is worth a watch if you're in a certain kind of mood. The soundtrack is great. I've been shazaming song after song - just going to have to check out the soundtrack. But yeah, the movie is worth a watch, and the soundtrack is excellent. It has witty dialogue and a good amount of charm to it. It is a bit dry, and not in a bad way, but just be prepared for that.