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FILM Rory Kiberd Zara Hedderman illustration: Bra
ndon O’Rourke Herself Director: Phyllida Lloyd Talent: Clare Dunne, Harriet Walter, Conleth Hill, Ian Lloyd Anderson, Cathy Belton Released: October 16 Phil Lynott: Songs For While I’m Away Director: Emer Reynolds Talent: Phil Lynott Released: October 23 Before the news cycle became the Covid cycle, for many, the housing crisis was the most outrageous blight in Irish society. Of course, it is no less relevant today, even if the news deems it so. It’s all to the good then that a powerful new drama is shining a light on this issue. Herself opens with Sandra (Dunne) and her girls singing along to Sia when her boyfriend, Gary, suddenly arrives home and starts attacking her. The scene is upsetting, but there’s also something inauthentic and stagey about it, any nuance is forfeited for the shock value of harrowing domestic violence. On the basis of this scene, I was concerned that this would be a drab, victim narrative in which the protagonist is put through the ringer at the hands of blank male violence and an indifferent system, all for our edification. Thankfully, once the film has set up its high stakes, it settles into a pleasingly naturalistic groove. What’s more, this is a more unusual story than you might think on first glance. Having escaped her abuser, an embattled Sandra tries to get by, working two jobs. Forced to live in a hotel, she can barely make ends meet. Most gruelling of all, she must let her ex see her two girls. So far, so miserable. But Herself takes an unexpectedly utopian turn proving this character has agency outside her suffering. Sandra tries to build a house from scratch, something she googles on a whim. The wealthy elderly woman who she cares for agrees to let her build it on her land. Sandra enlists the help of people who help just out of the goodness of their hearts. The cast of volunteers do look like they were assembled to meet some diversity quota. But, it’s not far off a fair representation of an ever diversifying Ireland. Occasionally, this stretch of the film is in danger of drifting into hokey territory, with a montage of the progress playing out to the “inspirational” pop song, Titanium. It feels like cliche might be lurking, threatening to subsume things, but no: this a movie more grounded in reality than not. Besides, you couldn’t accuse Herself of being cloying or sentimental. Any Richard Curtis cutsiness is short-lived. The film becomes engrossing when Sandra’s ex catches wind of her undertaking. Without spoiling anything, Herself isn’t necessarily going the pat route of other films. In Herself darkness is just as powerful as the light. While Sandra’s efforts to provide for her family may just about outweigh her ex’s destructive tendencies, his type of mendacity is sadly something of a match for her. Herself doesn’t pander or try to peddle easy answers for those in desperate straits. Gary uses loopholes in the justice system to try to gain custody of Sandra’s kids. By not sugarcoating how ruinous a relationship like this can be, the film has a rawness that makes it vital. The moments of triumph have more impact because they are hard won. The moments of levity are more touching because they are tentative, only fleetingly embraced before the next wearing indignity. But it’s the central performance that really elevates this. Dunne’s wounded stoicism and enterprising spirit ensures emotional investment. Herself convinces thanks to a script that, notwithstanding some wobbles, avoids cliche when it counts, and a central performance so effective you might find yourself hoping that Sandra’s okay long after the credits. This is not irrational. You may know a Sandra. RK Chronicling the life and career of Thin Lizzy’s Phil Lynott, from his relocation to Crumlin in the 1950s as a young child to his premature death in London, Phil Lynott: Songs For While I’m Away is a celebration of the legendary figure as a friend, father and greatest rock star to ever grace the stage. With a protagonist as effortlessly cool and engaging as Lynott, the stories revealed in Emer Reynolds’ feature documentary will leave audiences feeling simultaneously exhilarated, deeply emotional and extraordinarily proud of the legacy Lynott left across his music with Thin Lizzy and as a solo artist. Featuring interviews with Lynott’s family including his daughters Sarah and Cathleen along with his former wife Caroline Crowther, the latter eloquently paints the legendary figure as an extremely loving and multi-layered individual when it came to his home-life. Naturally, numerous tales from Thin Lizzy’s time recording in London and travelling around America come courtesy of the band’s revolving cast of musicians from founding member, Eric Bell to Scott Gorham and Midge Ure providing moments of comic relief between devastating anecdotes of a young Lynott desperately trying to find his father in London. A slew of A-list fans including Suzi Quatro (whom Lynott met in 1972 whilst touring with Slade), Adam Clayton, Huey Lewis and Metallica’s James Hetfield appear, each reiterating the impact the Irishman left on them personally. One of the more striking contributions comes from broadcaster and journalist John Kelly. As a teenager, he recalled the first time he saw the band live: “I went in wearing a brown cardigan and left in a leather jacket!” The documentary makes a conscious point of portraying Lynott sensitively. Reynolds navigates his life story through a patchwork of photographs from his school days, adolescent dalliances in music right to intimate snapshots of his domestic life with his wife and children in Howth. Furthermore, clips of Thin Lizzy playing on various television shows, namely The Old Grey Whistle Test, solidify Lynott as an unstoppable force as a frontman and the band’s unwavering ability to keep audiences’ attention and make you rock-out in your seat. Throughout, emphasis lies on his incredible songs written during his short thirty-six years rather than his drug addiction, which is briefly touched upon in the final act of the film. Instead, we’re told of the lesser known aspects to his personality. Before meeting Brush Shields, he’d been a fan of Paul Simon and Nico and The Velvet Underground while he also held a deep passion for mythology and comics, notably Dennis The Menace. In this regard, we’re shown a very human and relatable side to the star. Phil Lynott: Songs For While I’m Away is an enjoyable watch, if not for the tremendous archival footage and brilliantly entertaining snippets of Lynott’s exchanges with ignorant journalists alone. It’s a wonderful reminder of what a truly unique character Phil Lynott was within Ireland’s cultural history, not to mention the wealth of songs like Old Town and The Boys Are Back In Town he left for us to infinitely enjoy even in his absence. MA 52