The Oscar nominations are set to be announced next week.
Last month, JOE wrote about how four Irish films have been shortlisted for this year’s Oscars.
Two of these readers may already be very aware of: Kneecap, the Irish-language comedy-drama about the Belfast-based hip-hop trio of the same name, and The Apprentice, the biographical drama about Donald Trump’s rise during the ’70s and ’80s.
The others, though, people may be less familiar with. This is because they are short films and less publicly available, at least for the time being (one was available for a short time via YouTube channel Omeleto but has since been taken down).
However, following the news that they will be competing at the Academy Awards, JOE got the opportunity to check out both shorts for reviewing purposes. And we can confirm that both are excellent pieces of work – serving as further proof that our homegrown cinema is only getting better and better.
One of these shorts is titled Clodagh and revolves around Mrs Kelly (Bríd Ní Neachtain) – a strictly devout and moral woman in her 60s who spends her days working as a housekeeper for a priest and running a small Irish dance class for local children.
Mrs Kelly’s monotonous existence is broken by the arrival of a girl named Clodagh (Katelyn Rose Downey) outside her place of lessons.
Though the child’s father can’t afford the class, the usually stern teacher takes pity on her – allowing Clodagh to join for just one session.
It turns out Clodagh is a brilliant dancer and someone who, with proper training, could be a generational talent.
In order to be able to give that care to the young girl, Mrs Kelly though would have to compromise her steadfast morals – a dilemma she wrestles with over the course of the drama.
Clodagh is co-written and directed by British/Irish filmmaker Portia A. Buckley and was notably shot by American cinematographer Jomo Fray – best known for his work on this year’s major Oscar-contender Nickel Boys.
Through tight shots and dimly lit sets, the pair do brilliant work capturing the stifling nature of Mrs Kelly’s daily existence.
This is something which is only broken up by the central sequence in which Clodagh dances, where suddenly the camerawork becomes more fluid and the light appears brighter – fully conveying to the viewer that Mrs Kelly and her colleagues are witnessing something awe-inspiring.
Clodagh will no doubt earn comparisons to An Cailín Ciúin, in its portrait of the fleeting relationship between a young girl and an older woman – with both providing something that the other needed.
And if there is one flaw to be had with Clodagh, it’s just that it feels like only the beginning of the story – ending on such a tantalising note that you can’t help but hope it someday gets expanded to feature-length.
More self-contained is Room Taken, the other Irish short which follows a young man named Isaac (Gabriel Adewusi) in desperate need of a place to stay.
After helping an elderly blind woman named Victoria (Brid Brennan) bring her belongings home safely, Isaac in a snap decision decides to take temporary refuge in her home without her knowledge.
Though Victoria is unaware of his presence, the pair form an unexpectedly emotional bond. This is as Isaac begins making little repairs in Victoria’s house that improve her life.
Directed by TJ O’Grady-Peyton and written by Michael Whelan, Room Taken caught the attention of Colin Farrell – who joined the project as an executive producer.
And it’s clear to see what attracted the Irish acting titan, with Grady-Peyton and Whelan using their basic high-concept premise (one that could easily be transposed to the horror genre) to tell an unexpectedly powerful story about empathy and how human connection can be a lifeline in difficult times.
Also, helping viewers believe in the central situation is the wonderfully warm, open performances.
Adewusi is an incredibly sympathetic presence, whereas Brennan’s big scene putting a bow on the story should reduce even the most stone-faced viewer to tears.
Ireland is set to find out if Clodagh and Room Taken secure Oscar nominations on 23 January.
JOE will also keep readers posted as to when the shorts are made widely available to watch for the public.
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