Ailbhe O'Reilly reviews Jim Sheridan’s The Secret Scripture, which screened at the Audi Dublin International Film Festival.
In recent years there has been some key positive momentum behind the Irish film industry, with a slew of critical and commercial successes like The Young Offenders, A Date for Mad Mary and Room. So I had high hopes for Jim Sheridan’s The Secret Scripture, an adaptation of Sebastian Barry’s novel, with its stellar cast and an Irish director to keep the movie true to its roots. And one with such an impressive back catalogue of powerful films under his belt.
Unfortunately, The Secret Scripture does not quite live up to expectation. The film has a dual timeline, with Eric Bana playing the psychiatrist examining Rose McNulty (Vanessa Redgrave), who is living in a mental institution for most of her life and telling her story of how she ended up there. Through flashbacks we see a young Rose (Rooney Mara) living in a small Irish village in the 1940s, where she finds nearly every young man in the village seeking her attention.
Her main beau is Michael (Jack Reynor), a fighter pilot, with the local priest (Theo James) jealously looking on. The Irish village is painted in a somewhat twee way. Rose has one too many suitors for the viewer to keep up with, and the chemistry between Mara and Reynor is not wholly convincing.
Films detailing the unfair life in Ireland during this time, for women especially, like Philomena and The Magdalene Sisters have travelled far. The Secret Scripture’s script does not bring the same authenticity, and an unlikely conclusion limits the emotional depth.
The production design and performances are where the film shines. Rooney Mara proves once again to be a very talented actress and is as captivating as ever in the film, while Bana and Redgrave also bring something special. This is not quite enough to sell this lacklustre of an adaptation from Sheridan.
The Secret Scripture screened on Saturday, 18th February 2017 at the Savoy as part of the Audi Dublin International Film Festival.
