A FILM WITH ME IN IT
Ireland, 2008, 89 minutes. Colour.
Dylan Moran, Mark Doherty, Keith Allen, Amy Huberman, Aisling O’ Sullivan, David O’ Doherty, Neil Jordan, Hugh O’ Conor, Jonathan Rhys Meyers.
Directed by Ian Fitzgibbon.
A Film With Me In It was written by its star, Mark Doherty. It is the story of a would-be actor, almost clueless and inept, with a tolerant girlfriend who finds it too much to be with him, managing to look after his quadriplegic brother, friends with a would-be writer-director.
In this way, the film is very Irish – especially in its language.
The film is about writing a film – when, one day, the repair man who has not done his job in the block of flats, loosens a chandelier which falls on the quadraplegic man and kills him. When the landlord comes in, he tries to change a bulb, is standing on a shaky stool and falls, the screwdriver going through his neck. Later in the day, the ex-girlfriend returns to the house, screams at seeing the dead body and falls with the clarinet impaling her. And later, a policewoman is investigating something else, is tied up, tries to escape and the building shakes and the window comes down and kills her.
Most of the film is about the dithering between the would-be actor and the would-be director. One wants to go to the police, the other imagines the type of police investigation that would go on, the decision is made to remove the bodies.
There is a lot of situation farce, a lot of comedy of dithering – and, ultimately, the film makes a transition to a film about these events with Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Hugh O’ Conor as stars of the film. (Director Neil Jordan appears in a cameo at the beginning of the film interviewing the would-be actor.)
The film is one of smiles rather than laughs – although the death of the policewoman, shocking as it is, does raise a laugh because of the chain of events of accidental deaths.
Mark Doherty has appeared in a number of films and television programs. Dylan Moran is a well-known stand-up comic and actor, on stage, in clubs, on film.
1. An entertaining Irish yarn? Possible and impossible? The nature of the humour? The title, the focus on Mark and Pierce? Their wanting to make a film? The screenplay – and the final achievement? With Jonathan Rhys Meyers portraying Mark?
2. The city setting, the audition and interview room, the flat and its interiors, decrepit? The streets? The pubs? Authentic feel? Irish music?
3. Mark’s story: his inept reactions to the interview and audition, his claim for his career, his being dismissed? His friendship with Pierce? Dependence on him? Their conversations about the screenplay and the story? Imagining the crime? His caring for his quadraplegic brother? Taking his presence for granted? By the water, in the car? His giving Pierce a place to stay? His relationship with Sally? Her growing exasperation? Her decision to leave? The complaints to Jack about repairs? Jack and the demands for the money? Mark and his inability with money? His staying in the house? The chandelier falling and David’s death? His hiding? The encounter with Jack, Jack’s death? His wanting Pierce to come home, under the blanket, the phone call? The discussions with Pierce as to what to do, wanting to go to the police, not making the decisions? Pierce and his leaving? Sally, her arrival, her death? Pierce’s return, the discussion about the bodies? The arrival of the policewoman, the discussions about the clarinet, her coming in? Pierce hitting her over the head, their tying her up, the explanations? Her getting free? Her death at the window? Trying to cope with all the bodies?
4. Pierce, living in a Never Never Land, imagining himself as a writer, as a director? The discussions about the screenplay, the crime? His dependence on Mark? His going to the AA meeting – and his roundabout way of explaining himself? His being in the pub, the deaths, his presumptions, his imagining police interrogations? The decision as to what to do with the bodies? His opting out, making the cup of tea? The policewoman? His being ineffectual?
5. Jack, surly, the repairs, demanding the money? The accidents, his death?
6. Sally, her relationship with Mark, exasperated, leaving? Her death? Her father coming to pick up the things – and Pierce being able to put him off?
7. The policewoman – the seeming sensible encounter, turning into farce, her death?
8. The transition from the real situation to making the film? Jonathan Rhys Meyers and his reputation? Hugh O’Conor? The humour of the making of the film – and an ending to bring the macabre comedy to a close?
