Korea (1995, IE)
A bit of a hard find and novelty because of its limited release... if I recall correctly Korea was initially aired as a TV movie in Ireland and has fallen rather into obscurity over the years. (You can actually purchase it online, but only if you're located in Ireland, which is a bit of a bummer.) It is a somber film, in a word. It's the story of a young man on the cusp of independence (Eamon) and his bitter father (Doyle), but it's also a study in the economic and social development of Ireland into a modern nation and a commentary on the horrors and futility of war. In this case, the Korean war...but with numerous references made to the Irish Republic's war waged for its independence, as well. Among other things, Eamon has to frustratingly deal with his romantic inclinations towards Una, the daughter of a local government agent whom his father hates. He and his father make their living by fishing eels from the local lake, and Mr. Moran, the agent Eamon's father so despises, was just the bearer of bad news that they'd have to stop private fishing operations on the lake for reasons related to tourism development or similar. This would naturally deprive them of their only livelihood. Of course, Eamon also has to consider his desires to potentially leave his small town and attend University and the looming presence of a war he could become involved in, so he's really in an incredibly unfortunate situation right at the entrance to adulthood.
To make matters worse, his father is so paranoid and desperate to cling to the only way of living he's ever known that he's willing to send his only son off to war to be killed. Quite literally. He doesn't particularly care for anything related to glamour or the prestige of having a soldier for a son, and the war is going on with America and Ireland has little stake in it. What Doyle is after is the $10,000 stipend that the US government pays to Irish families if they send their sons to fight overseas for the U.S. military and wind up killed in action. Which is, disturbingly, the outcome Doyle is expressly hoping for. So needless to say, it's an incredibly sad film in many, many different ways. Young Andrew Scott's portrayal of the poor, resigned Eamon struggling to find happiness among several hopeless situations was particularly striking.
Silent Things (2011, UK)
A captivating short film. It's unfair to put the spotlight solely on Andrew Scott, because his performance as an autistic man, while moving and subtle and never at all condescending, works perfectly in tandem with the roles of Groome and Hughes as part of an engaging whole. You can view the entire thing online here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aiw7Ng3pBuk
Dead Bodies (2003, IE)
Another slightly older movie starring Andrew Scott as Tommy, a supremely unlucky slacker who winds up inadvertently responsible for his unpleasant, controlling ex-girlfriend's death. (Well, or so the audience thinks.) Like anyone else would be, he's completely rattled by the discovery of her body in his empty flat and makes hasty plans to bury her...only to find that he wasn't the first person to have that idea, since she ends up right on top of another skeleton in the woods at the edge of town. In a darkly amusing twist of fate, the police end up exhuming both bodies, and Tommy finds himself in a world of trouble and political intrigue far beyond anything he could have ever imagined. There's a rather surprising twist right near the end.
I'd also recommend that anyone and everyone give a listen to the BBC's 2009 radio adaptation of Vonnegut's classic The Slaughterhouse Five. Absolutely stunning, immersive rendition of the book. Interesting choice of Andrew Scott for Billy Pilgrim, but hey, whatever. Give it a listen here: http://minus.com/mascottaudio. I spent one evening with it while waiting for a meatloaf to cook, and it was time well spent on a very well-crafted piece of radio drama. (No, I won't ever get over Andrew Scott. Ever. Once I finally get around to watching The Scapegoat, The Town, and Blackout, I'll never shut up.)
A bit of a hard find and novelty because of its limited release... if I recall correctly Korea was initially aired as a TV movie in Ireland and has fallen rather into obscurity over the years. (You can actually purchase it online, but only if you're located in Ireland, which is a bit of a bummer.) It is a somber film, in a word. It's the story of a young man on the cusp of independence (Eamon) and his bitter father (Doyle), but it's also a study in the economic and social development of Ireland into a modern nation and a commentary on the horrors and futility of war. In this case, the Korean war...but with numerous references made to the Irish Republic's war waged for its independence, as well. Among other things, Eamon has to frustratingly deal with his romantic inclinations towards Una, the daughter of a local government agent whom his father hates. He and his father make their living by fishing eels from the local lake, and Mr. Moran, the agent Eamon's father so despises, was just the bearer of bad news that they'd have to stop private fishing operations on the lake for reasons related to tourism development or similar. This would naturally deprive them of their only livelihood. Of course, Eamon also has to consider his desires to potentially leave his small town and attend University and the looming presence of a war he could become involved in, so he's really in an incredibly unfortunate situation right at the entrance to adulthood.
To make matters worse, his father is so paranoid and desperate to cling to the only way of living he's ever known that he's willing to send his only son off to war to be killed. Quite literally. He doesn't particularly care for anything related to glamour or the prestige of having a soldier for a son, and the war is going on with America and Ireland has little stake in it. What Doyle is after is the $10,000 stipend that the US government pays to Irish families if they send their sons to fight overseas for the U.S. military and wind up killed in action. Which is, disturbingly, the outcome Doyle is expressly hoping for. So needless to say, it's an incredibly sad film in many, many different ways. Young Andrew Scott's portrayal of the poor, resigned Eamon struggling to find happiness among several hopeless situations was particularly striking.
Silent Things (2011, UK)
A captivating short film. It's unfair to put the spotlight solely on Andrew Scott, because his performance as an autistic man, while moving and subtle and never at all condescending, works perfectly in tandem with the roles of Groome and Hughes as part of an engaging whole. You can view the entire thing online here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aiw7Ng3pBuk
Dead Bodies (2003, IE)
Another slightly older movie starring Andrew Scott as Tommy, a supremely unlucky slacker who winds up inadvertently responsible for his unpleasant, controlling ex-girlfriend's death. (Well, or so the audience thinks.) Like anyone else would be, he's completely rattled by the discovery of her body in his empty flat and makes hasty plans to bury her...only to find that he wasn't the first person to have that idea, since she ends up right on top of another skeleton in the woods at the edge of town. In a darkly amusing twist of fate, the police end up exhuming both bodies, and Tommy finds himself in a world of trouble and political intrigue far beyond anything he could have ever imagined. There's a rather surprising twist right near the end.
I'd also recommend that anyone and everyone give a listen to the BBC's 2009 radio adaptation of Vonnegut's classic The Slaughterhouse Five. Absolutely stunning, immersive rendition of the book. Interesting choice of Andrew Scott for Billy Pilgrim, but hey, whatever. Give it a listen here: http://minus.com/mascottaudio. I spent one evening with it while waiting for a meatloaf to cook, and it was time well spent on a very well-crafted piece of radio drama. (No, I won't ever get over Andrew Scott. Ever. Once I finally get around to watching The Scapegoat, The Town, and Blackout, I'll never shut up.)
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