The Red Right Hand
  www.theredrighthand.co.uk





PERRIER'S BOUNTY
Some Mistakes You Can't Escape

Director
Ian Fitzgibbon

Starring
Cillian Murphy
Brendan Gleeson
Jim Broadbent
Jodie Whittaker

With a wealth of acting talent and an incredibly promising trailer, I had high hopes for this release and to be fair, Perrier's Bounty is one of the more enjoyable gangster comedy/dramas to come out of Ireland in a while but that doesn't negate the fact that it's a fairly drab and tedious affair. The story seems to focus on the tribulations of a young Dubliner named Michael McCrea [Murphy], as he scrambles about trying to locate cash to pay off a debt, all of which is narrated by.. well, it's never actually made clear but the voice used is that of Gabriel Byrne. On his way around town, Michael also feels the need to look out for his unrequited love, Brenda [Whittaker], or more aptly her interests when it comes to her cheating boyfriend. Enter into the mix Michael's estranged father, Jim [Broadbent], who claims to have been visited by Death with a warning that he will die the next time he falls asleep. After a drunken Brenda kills one of Michael's pursuers, mob boss Darren Perrier [Gleeson] puts out a price on both Michael and Brenda's heads. Throw the whole thing together and you'd think you have the makings of a decent crime drama with healthy bouts of comic banter - you'd be wrong.

At times Perrier's Bounty is witty, exciting, poignant, humorous and incredibly well put together but for the most part, it's just shoddy. There's a great lack of flow and substance as a pattern of 'talk about the past in melancholy tones' then 'frantic chase/shoot-out scenes' weave carelessly on and off screen without real cause or intention. As stated, there are a few genuinely exceptional moments but they are so very outweighed by the dross and unnecessary developments that culminate in a film of only eighty eight minutes feeling more like a two hour slog. It's almost as if the filmmakers had a decent concept for the film's open and close but had no idea how to make the two ends meet - a lot like The Tiger's Tail.

More's the pity as the actors involved are immensely talented and the film itself is very well shot and edited; the biggest problem (as with many films of this independent genre) is the plot -- oh, and Broadbent's accent, that was a bit ropey. The whole nonsensical affair limps to get going and then simply peters out to nothingness. I heard many similar complaints with Intermission but where Perrier's Bounty seems to fall short is character development. Intermission was far from perfect and suffered similar plot issues but thankfully, the characters were so engrossing that it almost didn't seem to matter and flaws in the story's progression and the neat conclusions were forgivable. Without that element, Perrier's Bounty equates to little more than villains pratting around, getting into trouble and then luckily finding their way out again.

Release Date:
UK - 26th March 2010
US - 14th May 2010

The Scene To Look Out For:
One scene in particular that made me chuckle (although I'm not really sure why - probably because I'm rather twisted) takes place while Michael, Brenda and Jim are taking refuge from the rain in someone's barn. The owner runs out and berates our leads, who simply tell her to fuck off and they'll leave when it's stopped raining. They continue their conversation only to be interrupted again as the woman returns and informs them she's called the guards. Michael looks confused as she goes on to explain how she told the police that they raped her. It sounds incredibly surreal but it's filmed in such a way that makes it rather funny.

Notable Characters:
There are only a handful of performances of note in this entire piece but Broadbent's role as Michael's well-mannered yet slightly deranged father is certainly standout - but as previously stated, his accent leaves a lot to be desired.

Highlighted Quote:
"That's me way, man"

In A Few Words:
"An average concept paired with mediocre execution that produces little more than sub-par entertainment. Bar a few select performances, little worth mentioning here"

Total Score:
4/10


Matthew Stogdon