Gemma Creagh ticks every box in her review of Verdigris.
Now that Marian (Geraldine McAlinden) has retired, her world has become impossibly small — whittled away to the same holiday every year, an impossibly quiet home, and a distant husband who critiques her every move. Nigel (Michael James Ford) is more focused on painting war figurines and pontificating class politics than spending his newly found free time with his wife. In order to eke out some space for herself — and much-needed funds due to Nigel’s tight purse strings — Marian embarks on a part-time role as a census enumerator. To keep her new job under wraps, she opts to be stationed in inner-city Dublin, a long way from her leafy South Dublin suburban home. In that marginalised community, the residents are tight-lipped and wildly wary of anyone with a clipboard working for the state. As Marian starts her rounds, she finds herself facing locked doors, curt replies, and suspicious stares.
Armed with her cheery smile and blank forms, Marian happens across Jewel (Maya O'Shea), a bold young woman sporting a sharp tongue and a bruised face. Worried that a minor is living alone, Marian coaxes her into helping with the census. Building a tentative friendship, Marian teaches Jewel the life skills her birth mother never did — while Jewel provides a safe space where Marian can finally be honest. Marian opens up about the pain she’s held onto for years: her sexless marriage, the shame she feels living in her own skin, and her isolated grief of her multiple miscarriages. As a sex worker, Jewel encourages Marian to embrace body positivity. But when Marian expresses concern, Jewel snaps, insisting she's doing fine. She enjoys what she does and doesn’t appreciate being judged. Later, Jewel struggles to stay safe when one of her clients crosses a dangerous boundary, and Nigel feels his tendrils of control loosening as Marian’s confidence grows. Furious, he steps up his campaign of coercion. With the bond of trust broken between these two women, they find themselves facing these escalating threats with nowhere to turn.
Verdigris is a micro-budget film that has made massive waves on the festival circuit. After writing and directing a series of independent short films, Patricia Kelly took out a credit union loan to make Verdigris — her feature directorial debut — and finished the film with an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign. The production saw 40 cast and crew work long hours on a 15-day shoot, and the initial cut clocked in at two and a half hours. Kelly persevered, honing and polishing the edit, getting feedback and applying notes until…her financial gamble finally paid off. In 2023 Verdigris won Best Independent Film after premiering at the prestigious, Oscar-qualifying Galway Film Fleadh. This was one of many packed screenings on a distribution journey that racked up multiple awards, including Best Irish Film and the Audience Award at Newport Beach Film Festival in LA.
The idea was born during Kelly’s own work as a census enumerator, the script was workshopped with actors and developed in a training course, then refining it with the support of her writing group. Exploring issues of gender, Verdigris looks at sexuality, sensuality and the unhealthy dynamics that can be forged in certain spaces; it looks at found families, rejection, bodily shame, domestic violence, autonomy and class. There’s certainly no shortage of weighty themes packed into the 1 hour and 35 minutes running time. However, the story flows best when serving the warm relationship between two gorgeous and damaged women on a journey of healing. There’s a deep chemistry between the defensive generosity captured by Maya O'Shea and McAlinden’s heartbreakingly raw depiction of Marian. She’s a familiar character, too kind, gentle, who politely puts everyone else first, and that moment she finally breaks down is the most powerful in the film. For anyone struggling to place her, McAlinden has had small but key roles across so many big Irish and international titles — Black '47, The Secret Scripture, Bad Sisters. She’s an accomplished theatre performer. Now, in Verdigris, she steps into the spotlight. Her quiet, grounded portrayal is charged with an emotional resonance that brings weight to every scene.
In this story, the city of Dublin plays its own starring role, captured with precision by Director of Photography Tania Freimuth, who curates a striking visual world for these women. The rolling streets, a seaside stroll, the claustrophobic darkness of Marian and Nigel’s modest home, they are all lit boldly and beautifully. Her composition supports, and never overwhelms, the narrative. This exact description also rings just as true when considering 2-time Emmy-nominated composer, Joseph Conlan’s succinct score. All these creative elements blend seamlessly to form something far greater than the sum of its parts: a film that showcases rising Irish talent and remains an accomplished feat in grassroots filmmaking. Verdigris is the best kind of debut film — one that turns heads and opens doors.
Verdigris is in selected cinemas on 18th April 2025.
