Starring: Tom Murphy, Mark O'Halloran
Cert: 15
Adam (O'Halloran) and Paul (Murphy) are about to embark on the worst - yet
possibly best - day of their lives.
The pair of them are whacked-out junkies trying scrape together a semblance
of decorum to enable them to scrape together a bit of change to allow them to
score a hit.
They wake up in an unknown dumpsite with Adam superglued to a mattress then
proceed to mooch around Dublin following leads to the promise of drugs, seeking
out old 'friends' in the hope of a handout, or trying their hands at petty
thievery to finance their day.
Their first contact at the housing estate proves fruitless so they head into
town and bump into people they know. One of their close friends has just died
and there will be a wake for him later. It is obvious from the attitude of
everyone present that the men are disliked immensely and eventually they get the
message.
A muddled conversation with a homeless lad gives him the impression the men
are out to get money back from someone called 'Clank' which then follows them
around the rest of the day.
There's a failed shoplifting, car jacking and mugging and they stoop to
extreme moral depths when they consider burglarising an old associate who has
gone clean.
Then Clank catches up with them and forces them to be lookouts while he 'does
over' a petrol station.
A random encounter gets them a stolen television which they try to sell on.
Contacts direct them back to the housing estate from where they started and
finally a score. The biggest score of their lives.
It is a testament to all-round excellent filmmaking that can make two
overtly unrepentant and morally devoid individuals to be sympathetic characters
and believable 'heroes'.
With a plot that lacks any specific story other than following two losers
wandering around taking advantage of the weak, innocent, society and their
friends; how could you like these guys? Because they are so pathetic that, even
if 'like' is a bit strong, you can't help feeling a bit sorry for them.
Then there is the issue that everything that happens to them is brought on by
their own deeds; it's comedy karma. As each illegal endeavour is undertaken,
more misery befalls them. Well, befalls Paul, really, as he becomes the constant
victim for physical assaults.
They are Irish, stoner versions of Laurel and Hardy. Their attempt to offload
the stolen TV is reminiscent of the piano up the flight of stairs. With Adam as
the 'ideas man', Paul follows orders as obediently as Stan Laurel did and ends
up with egg on his face. These two can't do the simplest of things, like
crossing a street without getting run over.
Adam and Paul's quest is accompanied by solid performances from their
co-stars and excellent cinematography. The fimmaker manages to beautify the
inner-city slums in one take whilst heighten the pair's drug imbued euphoria in
the next.
Adam & Paul is a great film that invokes a plethora of mixed
emotions throughout - humour, pity, despair and disgust - whilst not glorifying
the seedy lifestyle they have plummeted to.
Special Features
Unfortunately, none. But as the main feature is that
good then it's partially forgivable.
