It's clear that the cast and crew of Nora put effort into the work that went on here. Unfortunately, their good intentions did not translate into a good, or even watchable, film.
To be frank, I found this movie boring. It reaches for quirkiness, but rarely rises above the mundane. Here's are some of the principle flaws:
Overall: Tries, but finishes only average, bordering on unwatchable due to sheer length. 5/10
To be frank, I found this movie boring. It reaches for quirkiness, but rarely rises above the mundane. Here's are some of the principle flaws:
- The setting. This movie is as glaringly, ferociously, self-consciously Irish as Baywatch is ostentatiously "Californian," and unfortunately it's just as romanticized (even if some of that romanticism is dark). It's simply overwhelming. (I hope I will not be accused of being one of "those" Americans who can't stomach non-Hollywood cinema for holding this opinion. It is only because I *do* watch a lot of foreign films that I saw this one to begin with.)
- The characters. I will be the first to admit that I know very little about the real James Joyce. However, being that he's considered one of the greatest authors in history, I had hoped he had some uncommon vision, some wisdom, or some complex guiding motivation. In this movie, he has none of these things.
- The editing. This film drags. My friends and I (two of whom, for reference, are British) ended up watching the last 15 minutes in fast-forward and it was *still* too long. 30 minutes could easily have been cut and the movie would have been better for it.
- The style. Or, lack thereof. We hear that Joyce is a creative genius. If so, he didn't influence the production team much. As another user put it, despite a few quirks the style is painfully mundane.
Overall: Tries, but finishes only average, bordering on unwatchable due to sheer length. 5/10