DON'T GO

And, 2018, 91 minutes, Colour.

Stephen Dorff, Melissa George, Simon Delaney, Aoibhinn McGinnitty, Grace Farrell, Gavin O'Connor, Lalor Roddy.

Directed by David Gleeson.

An Irish story with echoes of the supernatural.

Stephen Dorff and Melissa George portray a couple who have lost their daughter in a beach accident. They moved to the Irish countryside, he an author, she something of an entrepreneur for tourism and hotels.

He has recurring dreams, going to sleep on the beach, each dream adding to the other, the narrative of the dreams lengthening, the parents playing with their daughter on the beach, building a sand castle, putting flags on the Castle… Each time the dream extends, the father is more anxious, but finds when he awakes, he has ever more flags.

The couple settle into the Irish town, especially helped by a very lively priest (Simon Delaney).

There is also a visit from a friend, a revelation that the father has had an affair with her, the mystery developing and the death of the friend.

There is tension between husband and wife – and the hope that time moves in a circle and that the sadness of the past can be rectified. But, as with some science fiction (like Archive), there is a twist of perspective at the end, altering what we have seen.

1. The title? Grieving parents? Searching father? Dreams and memories of the dead child?
2. The Irish setting, the seaside town, home, hotel, school? Pumps? The beach? The musical score?
3. Ben and Hazel, their marriage, her being Irish, he American, their meeting, living in Ireland, his writing and publication, Hazel and her work, the hotel? The scene on the beach, building the sandcastle, the moat, the flags? Ben and his recurring dream, the lengthening of the memory, the mystery, rescuing Molly or not? His having the flags?
4. Ben, his character, friendly, the death of his daughter, memories, having to cope, sleeping on the beach, the dreams, the lengthening story? Confiding in Hazel? Her reactions? His going to classes, teaching Macbeth, the insight and discerning our Lady Macbeth was pregnant, the death of the child? Signing the students book? Confiscating the drugs? Hazel and Serena finding them, smoking? The principal and to accusation, Ben resigning? Crashing the car? Appearing at the social the launch of the hotel?
5. Hazel, her friend David, Ben’s suspicions, seeing them, David is a psychologist, then attacking him and throwing him out of the house?
6. Ben, the discussions with the scientist, Stephen Hawking, time is relative, time coming round again, revisiting the past?
7. The late revelation of Ben and Serena, Molly finding them, falling down the stairs and dying? Ben and his guilt? Serena, friends with Hazel, arriving again, trunk, hanging herself?
8. The genial presence of Father Sean, size, his comments about his vocation, about Jesus on the cross? The mass of the chief students, genial responding to the heckler? Discussions with Ben, friendly, the quiz night, the invitation to poker, bending church, going to the house, discovering Serena?
9. The hospital, the doctor, Ben and his tablets? Needing to sleep?
10. The launch, the doctor on the launch, Molly and Hazel watching, Ben swimming, the drowning?
11. The switch at the finale, Ben’s funeral? Altering the audience perspective? Time travel and different possibilities?