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Set in 1946, The Secret of Roan Inish follows Fiona (Jeni Courtney), a young girl who, after the death of her mother, is sent to live with her grandparents near the coast. It is there that she learns about the island of Roan Inish, where the family used to live before the war, as well as the mysterious disappearance of her little brother, Jamie.
This is a film I hadn't heard of before; my experience with John Sayles is limited to Eight Men Out. But I thought it was a pretty solid and charming family film. Most of the performances were good, but I gotta give it to Courtney, who I think did a pretty good job of carrying most of the film on her own.
Still, there are some things as far as the mythology goes that are brushed over or not addressed at all, and the way the plot unfolds feels a bit scattered or meandering. There's a simplicity to how the film operates that can be seen as a strength or a weakness. Sayles' direction is not flashy, but it gets the job done.
I saw the film about a week or two ago, and already there are things that have vanished from my mind. But there's such a gentleness and a charm to its innocence that kinda stays with you. If there's something to it is that I can see myself showing this to my kids when they get a little older.
Grade:
THE SECRET OF ROAN INISH
(1995, Sayles)
A drama film
(1995, Sayles)
A drama film
"Ah, he isn't lost at all. He's just with another branch of the family."
Set in 1946, The Secret of Roan Inish follows Fiona (Jeni Courtney), a young girl who, after the death of her mother, is sent to live with her grandparents near the coast. It is there that she learns about the island of Roan Inish, where the family used to live before the war, as well as the mysterious disappearance of her little brother, Jamie.
This is a film I hadn't heard of before; my experience with John Sayles is limited to Eight Men Out. But I thought it was a pretty solid and charming family film. Most of the performances were good, but I gotta give it to Courtney, who I think did a pretty good job of carrying most of the film on her own.
Still, there are some things as far as the mythology goes that are brushed over or not addressed at all, and the way the plot unfolds feels a bit scattered or meandering. There's a simplicity to how the film operates that can be seen as a strength or a weakness. Sayles' direction is not flashy, but it gets the job done.
I saw the film about a week or two ago, and already there are things that have vanished from my mind. But there's such a gentleness and a charm to its innocence that kinda stays with you. If there's something to it is that I can see myself showing this to my kids when they get a little older.
Grade: