Verdigris, Patricia Kelly’s remarkable debut feature, is a lovely tale of unlikely friendship, inspired by her experiences as a census enumerator in Dublin’s north inner city. After being made redundant, Kelly, who had presided over several low-budget short films, took a leap of faith with her own production company, MnáMná Films, to bring a first feature to life.
Thank goodness she did.
A deserving winner of multiple awards, including best independent film at Galway Film Fleadh and the audience award at Newport Beach Film Festival, Verdigris follows Marian (Geraldine McAlinden), a recently retired, middle-aged woman in an emotionally abusive marriage. She tries to find a purpose and to rekindle the flame in her stultified marriage, but to no avail. The unyielding Nigel (Michael James Ford) ridicules all suggestions and innovations. A part-time job? What will the neighbours say? Marriage counselling? A referee who will take her side!
With echoes of Jack Nicholson’s labyrinth-obsessed patriarch in The Shining, Nigel puts all his energies into re-created battle miniatures. Against this backdrop of coercive control Marian forms an improbable bond with a teenage sex worker named Jewel (Maya O’Shea). At first the suspicious younger woman rebuffs Marian with torrents of verbal abuse and a manner befitting a stray dog. But kindness and the occasional takeaway win out.
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As the odd couple navigate the streets of Dublin a fragile but growing friendship begins to take root. Yet their connection is not without consequences. Nigel grows increasingly unsettled by his wife’s unexplained absences. For all Jewel’s bravado she keeps her clients secret from her boyfriend, Sam (Killian Filan), and her encounters are often perilous and violent.
Kelly has a keen ear for dialogue. Her delicate drama considers tricky subjects with care and consideration. This is a feature made with love and powered along by the tremendous performances of McAlinden and O’Shea.
In cinemas from Friday, April 18th
