 |
 |
| Directed by Paul Quinn; Starring Aidan Quinn, Moya Farrelly, James Caan, Jacob Tierney, Gina Moxley, Moira Deady, Colm Meaney, Brenden Gleeson, Pauline Hutton, Maria McDermottroe, Donal Donnelly, Eamon Morrissey, Stephen Rea, John Kavanaugh, and John Cusack |
I’ve never been the biggest of fans of actor Aidan Quinn. Sure I have liked him in stuff like Legends of the Fall, In Dreams, Michael Collins, and Looking for Richard, but one must not forget Desperately Seeking Susan or Commandments or Blink or Stars Fell on Henrietta or The Assignment or Practical Magic or Haunted or Benny & Joon. Since Practical Magic is hard to forgive, I was not too excited about seeing This Is My Father, a collaboration of Quinn’s family. Aiden stars while brothers Paul and Declan serve as writer/director and cinematographer, respectively, and all three of them serve as executive producers. I have actually had some respect for Declan over the years, but Paul was nearly unknown by me. This is his first try at the three suits he wears and it shows.
This Is My Father looks much like a film made simply to bring people together than as an achievement in filmmaking. The Quinn Brothers seem self imposed and uninterested in anything beyond making a family get together that will allow them to work with James Caan. Telling the story of the torrid relationship between Kieran O’Dea (Quinn) and Fiona Flynn (Farrelly) as it is being told to his their son (Caan) on a visit to their Irish home. The son, Kieran Johnson, is a Chicago teacher that is interested in the secrets kept by his invalid mother. He takes the trip to Ireland with his nephew (Tierney) and learns everything from a soothe-seer (Deady) that was friendly with Fiona. The story of his conception is far from anything that he would have thought of as he learns of the great strictness of Fiona’s widow mother (Moxley) and the reason that he never met his father.
The film does have a nice story and some very nice scenes, but not all of it is believable or interesting. The subplot between Johnson’s nephew and a local girl (Hutton) is boring and idiotic, quite a waste of time. Most of the film is on the shoulders of its terrific cast. Caan, Quinn, and Farrelly all shine in the lead roles, though they are overshadowed by a terrific supporting cast, especially from Cusack, Gleeson, Rea, Moxley, Deady, and Meaney. I was not enthralled by the film, as I found it to be a slight work, but all the same I enjoyed This Is My Father.
