This is a film with a lot of blank spaces, where we are not privy to background information. This is a disturbing film for sure, which touches on people’s phobias, for example women on meeting men, question their sexual preferences.

There is a kind of homophobic fear. The film touches some sensitive taboo subjects, such as pedophilia, sexual perversions and mental illness, all of this without going into details and the full backdrop as to preceding events. This however does not impede on the film, which is still rich, full of weird characters, tortured souls, all struggling with their lives.

They are a family in torment. Trish (Allison Janney) is a mother who we learn is in love with a dumpy unattractive man Harvey (Michael Lerner).  It is obvious she is clinging to the notion of love, out of desperation. Their association is not a Hollywood dream of two beautiful people being in love, Harvey is somewhat cumbersome, and the two make a bizarre couple.

Meanwhile her son Timmy is trying to step into the shoes of being the man of the house. Lurking in the shadows, like a wandering lost soul, is his father Ciarán Hinds, who Trish has pronounced is dead, rather than tell the truth of his murky unexplained pedophile past. There are no shocking profane images in this film, more ghostly memories and unuttered truths.  Maybe the subject matter meant the director feared going full out. The film moves at a ponderous slow pace and has a surreal dreamlike quality to it.

Francis H. Powell is originally from England and moved to Paris in 1999. In addition to being a writer (articles, songs and poems), he is a painter, DJ and English trainer. For more information, read his complete bio.

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