Intermission is an Irish ensemble piece part ‘Short Cuts’and part ‘Lock Stock & 2 smoking barrels’. The lives of a group of people living in Dublin are brought together by a series of coincidences and changing relationships. Take a deep breath as I vainly try to illustrate how their lives are intertwined. John (Cillian Murphy) is unsuccesfully coming to terms with breaking up with his girlfriend Deidre (Kelly McDonald) who is already shacking up with a much older and more mature married man, Sam, who’s shattered wife, Noelenne, is also trying to come to terms with singledom and her repressed frustrations. Deidre’s sudden new relationship is met with the scorn of her emotionaly scarred sister, Sally (Shirley Henderson)who’s own insecurities are enhanced by a developing female ‘tash’ which becomes obvious to her and the rest of the community when she is interviewed on TV for a news report. Meanwhile Lehiff (Colin Farrell) is a lower level criminal who is being harrased by an over zealous cop Jerry (Colm Meany) who has dreams of being the star of his own reality TV Show and has convinced a local director to make the show.
A bus crash unites John, Lehiff & the bus driver to stage a burglary which involves Deidre and her new lover and grabs the attention of Jerry who wnats the bust for his show.

Sounds confusing? This only part of it and it’s all superbly pulled off by a strong cast and delivered in a fashion that elludes American filmmaking.

Like it’s story line, Intermission swings tones from being depressing to funny to surprising as the characters lives collide together. At times Intermission does feel more like a big budget tele movie than a film but it is cetainly an enjoyable view. Well worth mixing in your package when it goes to weekly hire.

THE EXTRAS

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CONCLUSION

The lives of a small group of people living in Dublin are collided together by a bus crash, new relationships and brown sauce. This slickly put together Irish ensemble piece offers genuine laughs, real emotion and great performances.