interMission

interMission (2003), an Altman-esque tableau of tormented characters who live in and around Dublin, is punctuated by sudden outbursts of violence. In its opening scene, Colin Farrell's rough-looking Lehiff sweet-talks a waitress at a mall café. The girl blushes as Lehiff talks about the possibilities of two people connecting, and how love comes along when one least expects it. Then, just as the film begins to look like it's going down the well-treaded path of indie comic confection, things take a sharp turn. On the other hand, says Lehiff, "I could be a thief." The girl looks up, startled, and Lehiff socks her in the face and orders her to empty the cash register.

Although the film is being touted in its Stateside release as an ensemble romantic comedy, if anything, it is more of an anti-Love Actually (2003). Director John Crowley and writer Mark O'Rowe are far more interested in exploring the loneliness, the frustration, the heartache, and, yes, the violence of love. The degree to which this strategy works varies, as the film's multiple storylines result in some cast members getting lost in the shuffle, detracting from the movie's effectiveness as a whole. Having set the template for ensemble comedy-dramas, Robert Altman remains one of the few who are expertly-versed in juggling a multitude of characters, while Crowley, despite showing prodigious skill for a first-time director, allows some of his plotlines to be kept hanging.

He does, however, manage to elicit first-rate performances from his cast, including Farrell (who is given precisely the sort of meaty role here that has seemingly eluded him in Hollywood), Shirley Henderson, Colm Meaney, Cillian Murphy, and David Wilmot.

Unfortunately, interMission's potency is undermined by Crowley and O'Rowe's tendency to let the film's sharply-etched male characters take center stage, leaving the women (with the exception of Henderson's haunted, lovesick Sally, whose hilarious mustache doubles as a battle scar) largely on the sidelines. For instance, Kelly MacDonald, an actress who has shown talent in more compelling roles, is reduced to frowning excessively at the antics of both her former boyfriend (Murphy) and the married bank teller (Michael McElhatton) she has taken up with in his stead.

Despite also suffering from a contrived ending, the film offers up enough amusements to keep viewers entertained along the way. Still, one wishes that a couple of the plotlines had been dropped entirely to allot more room for the more the film's more engaging characters.