The Nephew/Irländska Hjärtan

The parent traps

Tony Egan (Donal McCann) devotes his time to farming a small holding on the Irish island Inishdaragh. He gets a shock when he receives a letter from America from his estranged sister. It is twenty years since she left, and she has written to Tony asking him to look after her teenage son Chad, since she is dying and he is her only living relative. When Chad (Hill Harper) arrives, his presence causes a reaction among the people of the island, and also revives a dark episode in Tony's past, which had lain simmering since his sister's departure.

There are a number of enduring themes in Irish story-telling, regardless of whether the medium is prose, theatre or film-making. One is the claustrophobic nature of small-town or rural life in Ireland, which is accentuated in an island community. No relationships of any sort can escape the attention of the community, and the close-knit nature of the community means that a destructive act can ripple throughout and affect everyone. Another is the long-lived nature of people's memories, where deeds of ancestors continue to colour the lives of the living. And, of course, no self-respecting Irish drama is complete without the sea. The sea, which introduces visitor and invader alike, and which provides the means of escape, usually to the new world (America).

All of these themes feature in The Nephew, though happily as merely background material for a light-hearted and funny love story. It is probably just as well, since the story (by Jacqueline O'Neill and Jack. P. Steele) is almost too complex for its own good. Chad returns to Inisdaragh to learn more about his mother's family and background. His quest causes unease amongst several of the locals, especially his uncle, but also the local bar-owner, Mr. O'Brady (Pierce Brosnan, who also has a credit as executive producer). Egan and O'Brady hate each other, and the source of that hatred is a relationship between O'Brady and Chad's mother decades earlier, and Egan's opposition to it. Matters aren't helped when Chad begins to woo O'Brady's daughter, Aislin (Aislin McGuckin). If that wasn't enough, Chad incurs the enmity of Peter (who secretly desires Aislin), and whom Egan pointedly ignores every time they meet, even though Egan is friendly with his mother, the local postmistress (played by Sinéad Cusack). Phew !

Luckily, the potential for a gloomy drama is avoided by large helpings of humour. Donal McCann is one of Ireland's most underrated and versatile actors, and he conveys just enough bitter humour with dourness, guilt and regret to retain our sympathies. Egan's actions in the past has irreparably changed the course of his family for worse rather than better, and now Chad's arrival offers him a similar set of choices - can he live with the same consequences ? The blossoming relationship between Chad and Aislin is also nicely done (though Chad's interest in her is never clear - her friend Rachel (Lorraine Pilkington) seems far more fun).

There are some nicely observed scenes, particularly Chad's encounters with farming, and a very funny (and accurate) depiction of a choir at a Roman Catholic mass, which features Tony (Phelim Drew) who appears throughout the movie to liven it up. Unfortunately, one of the better moments is spoiled by the trailer.

The film is not without its flaws - the relationships dovetail too neatly, and are far too conveniently resolved, considering the dark nature of the story. In fact, the story would be better served with less characters, since some of them never develop beyond bare outlines. The character of Peter (Luke Griffin) does nothing but sulk and glower in every scene, but there's little else he can do since he has so little dialogue. Pierce Brosnan seems so intent on not upstaging anyone that he practically fades into the background - it's a shame that his character does not have a more central role.

The director never really captures the feeling of a small island community either - panning shots of mountain ranges and expansive lakes don't help (the movie was filmed in Wicklow, by the look of it), and there are probably too many shots of characters staring dolefully out to sea.

Nevertheless, the Nephew is surprisingly good fun, and the instances of emotional catharsis are well outnumbered by comic moments.

Directed by Eugene Brady.

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