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Tradition

18/9/2019

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This week I went to see a home grown movie called "Tradition", a comedy set in a district court in the heart of Kerry.

Tradition unveils the shinnanigans of a court house in the town of Killarney, some true and some not so true cases are presented before a judge in moral dilemma, will he take on the GAA and end insider betting or will he be influenced by personal gain or other motives. His rulings are dependent on his mood and his judgements are decided on personal persuasions, as such crimes of roguery are excusable while the unexplainable is admissible.

When you consider this movie was made for less than the price of an episode of the Late Late Show you'd have to wonder what RTE actually do with their budget, if this film does anything, it makes the point that the national broadcaster should be encouraging more community made TV, film that captures the heart and soul of Ireland.

In America; films that are culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant get treasured in the National Film Registry. This reflects the importance film plays in society, as film makers capture culture, how we view ourselves, and the world around us.

Tradition might not win any Oscars, it's a collage of bar jokes, tomfoolery, and one liners which can possibly be attributed to the late Brendan Grace, who plays a central role in this low budget Kerry based concoction of satire and emotion.

It also fails to break out of the mould of country comedy such as "Bachelors in Trouble" or "Killinascully" and it's colloquial humour may limit its screenings to film festivals and the in flight movie panel. However it does give life to the possibility of more movies being made in local Ireland, featuring Irish talent alongside the captain of the hurling team and the county's star stand up comedian.

​"Tradition" shows us that making movies is achievable and big ideas can break through the 'short film' barrier, a category that most Irish cinema has been defined by. It's a movie that movie makers will appreciate because it lays a foundation stone for possibility, an achievement I'm sure screenwriter and director Damian O'Callaghan will receive plenty of praise for as patrons of Irish cinema grow in confidence to back more feature length projects set in rural Ireland.
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The Mustang

3/9/2019

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The Mustang is a film depicting real life rehabilitation therapy programs used in prisons in several states in America (you can guess which ones) where convicts are taught how to love again by building emotional connections with wild horses, presumably the kind of supporting relationships not provided by their parents, because yes, raising your kids backwards will result in poor behaviour and teenage pregnancies.

The main character, Roman, has the personality of a Dublin bus driver and the temperament of McGregor selling whiskey. He's a man with heavy fists and a soft heart. His strength in body allows him to maintain his independence in the prison yard, he makes no alliances and it's questionable if he makes any friends, but he observes his surroundings and he's willing to go to battle against those who thread on his dreams.

By joining Roman Coleman on his journey we discover that some crimes have complex motives and it's not always easy to judge a man for his actions.

This made me realise that although Dublin bus is an advertisement for the taxi industry it's not fair to assume that all drivers are rude because of their upbringing. Some might have had good parents but are just innate assholes, some might be angry because they weren't lucky enough to win the lotto, and some might think it's acceptable behaviour to shout at pensioners.

Either way, just like Roman they are practicing cowboys hoping for a better future and a chance to find inner freedom, because you can't love others if you hate yourself.

The parallels between Roman and the wild horse he's trying to tame are evident from the get go. As he comes to learn more about his horse "Marquis" he learns to tame himself and in doing so he opens up for the first time since his sentencing.

Unlike getting on Dublin bus this movie is relatively family friendly, it's got a lot of soul and pensioners rate it as a much more pleasant experience than asking drivers for assistance.

Although we've only travelled with Roman for a short period in his life we get a sense that change is possible. Although his future is unclear I would hold out more hope for him than the income of a Dublin bus post driver post automation, where buses are run by computers and drivers make a living off of a reasonable standard of customer service.

​Redemption is for everyone.
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