The Name's Doyle - Desmond Doyle (Evelyn (VHS))

Member Name: kenjohn

Product:	Evelyn (VHS)
Date:	07/07/09 (121 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Funny, dramatic, heart-wrenching.

Disadvantages: Not a lot!

FILM REVIEW ONLY

Irish actor Pierce Brosnan is probably best known for his role as secret agent James Bond 007, having played the iconic spy in four movies and for a 7-year stint from 1995 to 2002. But there is much more to this excellent actor than Bond, as Evelyn, this low-budget Irish movie from 2002 proves.

Filmed in the same year as Brosnan made his final Bond movie, Die Another Day, his part as painter and decorator Desmond Doyle in the repressively Catholic Ireland of the 1950's couldn't be further removed from his Bond character.

Desmond Doyle is an unemployed house painter in Dublin. Married with three kids he constantly struggles to make ends meet and put food on the table, a task not helped by his alcoholic drinking. Matters come to a head when his wife runs off to Australia with another man, abandoning him and his young daughter Evelyn and two young sons Maurice and Dermot. He simply can't cope, and the State and Church step in placing his kids in Catholic orphanages. This breaks Doyle's heart, and when he is told by the judge in the case that it is only a temporary measure until he sorts out his messed up personal life Doyle cleans up his act, giving up the demon drink and obtaining gainful employment. All is not well however, as when he applies to the courts for the return of his children his petition is refused; and therein lies the story.

Ireland in 1953 was a far cry from the relatively liberal society that exists today, and the separation between Church and State was for all intents and purposes practically non-existent. It was unheard of for a single father to bring up his children, and this was actually enshrined in the Irish Constitution. But the Church and State didn't take into account this father's undying love for his kids, and his absolute adoration of his young daughter Evelyn. Despite his lack of funds and formal education Doyle decides to challenge the decision to separate him from his children through the courts, which in effect means he has to take on the combined might of the State and Church.

To do this he enlists the help of a visiting American lawyer (Aidan Quinn), solicitor Michael Beattie (Stephen Rea) and a drunken genius of a barrister Tom Connolly. (Alan Bates) To add some romantic interest he even manages to hook up with an Irish barmaid along the way, ably played by American actress Julianna Margulies. (Best known for her part as Nurse Carol Hathaway in the US drama series ER)

The movie works on all sorts of levels. It's a brilliant depiction of the repressed society in Ireland during the 1950's, and tugs at your heartstrings the whole way through as Doyle battles valiantly against almost overwhelming odds to get his kids back out of State care. Brosnan's superb acting is complimented by a tremendous performance from the 10-year-old Dublin actress Sophie Vavasseur as his daughter Evelyn, and by great performances from other Irish actors such as Stephen Rea. There's even a part for veteran Irish actor Frank Kelly (drunken priest Father Jack in the comedy series Father Ted) as Evelyn's grandfather.

What makes this movie even more fascinating is that it is based on a true story. The events depicted actually occurred, and the Doyle case made Irish legal history as it was the first time a law was challenged in the Supreme Court here in Ireland. The script is sensitively handled by scriptwriter Paul Pender, who was ably assisted by the real-life Evelyn. In fact, the making of this movie is in no small part down to her determination to have her story made public.

It depicts the repressed Dublin society of the 1950's almost perfectly, and as well as its truly dramatic moments it also has you laughing out loud at times, and even features Brosnan singing a couple of Irish ballads. (Not too bad Pierce, but don't give up the day job!) Brosnan has come in for some stick for his poor Irish accent (despite being Irish!) but having lived here in Dublin for the past 30 years or so I can tell you his accent is spot on.

The movie was made and produced in Dublin by Ardmore Studios, the small (but very highly regarded) movie company in Bray, Co. Wicklow and directed by Bruce Berseford, an Oscar-winner with Driving Miss Daisy. (1989) In my opinion he should have won yet another Oscar for Evelyn, and had it been produced in Hollywood rather than here in Ireland I believe it would have achieved far more critical acclaim.

My copy of the movie was recorded from Sky, but the DVD is freely available at Amazon and various other online sources.

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Director: Bruce Berseford

Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Aidan Quinn, Julianna Margulies, Alan Bates, Stephen Rea, Sophie Vavasseur, Frank Kelly.

Length: 95 minutes

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© KenJ July 2009

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Summary: A hidden gem of a movie