The mise en scene is very well done, with all the elements of costume, set design, lighting and music working together in creating a small Irish village for the audience. Within that village the characters -- the real stars of the show -- come to life and create the drama and tension.
The editing through most of the film is so seamless as to be nearly invisible. The natural flow of interesting shots express the mood and intent of the characters well. A good example of this is during the chicken dinner. We are moved easily from one conversation to the next as we pick up on the small gestures and conversations that guide the friends to learning the truth about the lottery winner.
An interesting side story is the love story of Maggie and Finn. The filmmakers keep the tension between them with dialogue, and with the distance between them in the visuals. One excellent example of this is the scene in the woods where Finn tells Maggie he's been using fruity soaps.
Pig Finn: Come on, Maggie!
Maggie O'Toole: I caught a whiff of something then.
Pig Finn: Oh no, it's peaches. Peach soaps, Maggie.
Maggie O'Toole: Oh no. It's something else.
Pig Finn: Could be strawberries. Oh, Maggie.
Maggie O'Toole: Finn.
Pig Finn: Maggie.
Maggie O'Toole: Finn. Oh no, sorry love, it's still there.
In this scene, there is a playful interaction between the two of them, with their physical distance widening, then they come together, then apart again. Their physical distance is mimicking their emotional conflict. At several points during this scene, Maggie runs across the screen away from Finn as he begs, beckons, and chases and we are given a good sense of where they both stand in their relationship.
The twist in the pub scene about the real father of Maggie's son is done with well placed shots of Maggie and Jackie, Finn and the boy. The friendships, good will, love, and more complicated relationships are all well represented visually and with sound and music.
One well done sequence is near the end of the movie, as the villain Lizzy is making her move to spoil the whole plot. As her motorized chair runs out of battery, she is shown getting out and making her way (very ably) to the phone booth. Cut to the lottery official driving out of town as Lizzy gets into the booth. We are reminded of the people in the village that we've grown to care about celebrating with a well placed shot in the pub, then back to Lizzy making the call that will ruin it all. When the returning priest swerves and hits the phone booth, it shoots into the air and off the cliff as we return again to the celebrating pub. When the booth shatters on the ground at the same time the pub erupts into cheers, it is a great moment.
No comments:
Post a Comment