Intermission

Cillian Murphy and Kelly Macdonald in Intermission

John Crowley's Intermission, his first feature from 2003, examines the intersecting lives of a dozen or so characters in modern day Dublin. This kind of film requires a firm hand on the directorial tiller, more Robert Altman's Short Cuts than Paul Haggis' Crash. I feel Crowley bit off more than he could chew here. His choice of camera angles is, at times, bizarrely ineffective and the narrative has too much of a rough hewn, haphazard feel to it that dissipates the effect of the multi-story arc. Mark O'Rowe's screenplay is strong on characterization, but the plot feels jumbled and the tale's themes, especially jabs at American styles capitalism, are overstated.

Still, even at this early date, Crowley shows that he can elicit strong performances. Shirley Henderson, Cillian Murphy, Kelly Macdonald and Ger Ryan all do memorable work. Colin Ferrell is well cast as a psychopath and delivers a nervy, interestingly bifurcated performance. Intermission is a mixed bag, but a promising start to Crowley's career, the high point of which is, so far, Brooklyn.