SWEETY BARRETT (Ireland)
A review by Mark R. Leeper in bullet-list form
from the Toronto Internation Film Festival
CAPSULE: In a remote Irish fishing village the village simpleton comes into conflict with a corrupt and tyrannical policeman. Nicely filmed and well acted but the story is overly familiar and invites comparison to SLING BLADE. Rating: 7 (0 to 10), +2 (-4 to +4)
- Directed by Stephen Bradley - Mentally retarded circus performer is let go by the circus and must fend for himself. He comes to live in a fishing village and makes friends with a young boy. He is on a collision course with a corrupt policeman who rather than fighting the local crime actually directs it. - There is a lot of nice local feel to the film. - The story is a bit stereotypical and predictable. Director is a first timer, however. - Good menacing performance by Liam Cunningham. - Rather appealing young Irish child. Most of the characters are appealing, though showing a little more of life in the village might be a good idea. - It's a little hard to judge Barrett's intelligence level at times. He seems almost simple by choice. - Cruel jokes are played on Barrett by people of village. He just tolerates them. - Seems like a big buildup to not very much of a climax.
Mark R. Leeper
mleeper@lucent.com
Copyright 1998 Mark R. Leeper
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