Black Irish (2007) Review

In the shadow of Gone, Baby, Gone, one of this year's most critically acclaimed films, comes another directorial debut set in Boston that packs a surprising dramatic wallop.

Gleeson, Baby, Gleeson

The name of the film is Black Irish; the screenwriter making the leap to directing is Brad Gann, author of the Mark Wahlberg football true story Invincible; and you can catch it tomorrow in one of four places - L.A., Cambridge, Revere or West Newton, Massachusetts. Buttressed by awards at the Florida, Newport Beach and Method film festivals, Black Irish should have considerable spindly legs in the Boston area, especially once it plays at that city's Irish Film Festival, which runs November 8th through the 11th. Elsewhere, in the crowded fall season dramatic marketplace, the movie's prospects are less certain.

The production company that helped get the film made is Moody Street Pictures, an equally apt description of this familial narrative. Because viewers are privy to many non-medicated ups and downs in the McKay household, courtesy of a semi-alcoholic father (Brendan Gleeson), an overly stoic mother (Melissa Leo), an out of control older brother (Tom Guiry) and an unmarried, pregnant sister (Emily VanCamp). The only semblance of normalcy comes courtesy of youngest son Cole (Michael Angarano), who tries valiantly to hold things together.

Although the screenplay originally called for Black Irish to be filmed in New York City, it's hard to imagine this film belonging anywhere other than Beantown. That change was made once Moody Street was brought into the picture courtesy of producers J. Todd Harris and Kelly Crean. Though not quite as drenched in local color as Gone, Gann's view of the city is no less claustrophobic and grim, sourcing not the words of Dennis Lehane but rather the paintings of Caravaggio.

As Gann puts it in his Director's Statement, 'the painter's works share a rich autumn palette, infused with deep browns, umbers, golds, creams, and blacks with a smattering of reds.' To support this color composition, Gann chose grainy film stock and further de-saturated the film in post by going to a bleach-bypass process.

But a painting is only as good as its subject, and though Angarano as the POV protagonist is fantastic, it is Gleeson who steals the show. Offering up a pathetic book end to his people's gangster character in 1998's The General, the Irish actor - who amazingly only decided to pursue the profession at age 34 - is the self-loathing fool to which all roads in the McKay family lead. He inhabits the character in such a way that one cannot help but wonder how many Irish fathers like this he has personally known.

Gann had some "black Irish" luck of his own while making his movie. Because The Departed began filming on location in Boston the very same day, it was something of a struggle to assemble crew. But even that hard luck twist seems to have only helped further color Black Irish with another shade, reflecting the hard knocks that is life these days for all but a few fortunate working class American families.