In this review of Dublin International Film Festival's opening film, Peter Bodie looks back at David Gleeson's Once Upon A Time In A Cinema.
Can one regional Irish cinema survive the financial and social turbulence of the 1980s? In Once Upon A Time In A Cinema, owner/manager (Colin Morgan) and his fellow employees are under siege from burst pipes, rodents, unruly customers, ageing equipment, inebriated projectionists, financial pressure and the unstoppable march of new technology in the form of the dreaded Video Home System (VHS) tape machine. This tale of encroaching change is timely and the story presents an unyielding trial, where of course you will end up rooting for the cinema and all its history and stories. Hopefully it will live on to fight another day.
This film is an immersive trip back in time to the days when a weekly visit, preferably Friday night, to the local cinema was de rigueur. This creative team collaborated on Once Upon A Time In A Cinema to evoke a wonderful atmosphere amid the very real images of a slightly run-down regional cinema of the era. The location is distinctly authentic because it was filmed at the defunct Royal Cinema on Cecil Street in Limerick. If you are of a certain age you will get a mild chuckle at the idea of a cinema audience enveloped in cigarette smoke.
There is a real sense of fun and conviviality throughout the film. There are so many extras involved in the action as the cinema audience; it's a delight to watch the spirited heckling scenes and chaos as the projector caused hiccups. Rarely does a movie capture a mood and time so perfectly. For the younger generation, who have never experienced such scenes, this well-told narrative is a great chance to get a sense of just how wild it was.
The story moves along swiftly and there are no dull moments. Stanley Townsend as businessman Harry Conway and Niamh Cusack as Mrs. Healy turn in thoroughly believable performances, while newcomer Daniel Woodage finesses his role as an usher. Michael Casey and Shane Davis make a too-brief appearance as good-natured stoners - a great touch. Writer and Director David Gleeson, along with his entire crew, are to be commended for carefully bringing this fairytale-style homage to the big screen.
A heart-warming nostalgic recreation of a time gone by, Once Upon A Time In A Cinema is a story to be dived into. Embrace the popcorn - and the moment - and sit back and enjoy.
Once Upon A Time In A Cinema opened the Dublin International Film Festival on 19th February 2026.
