Ciarán Hinds and Iben Hjejle, in front of some of the fantastic Irish architecture on display in the film.
In almost clumsily meshing two rather incongruous genres together, The Eclipse leans more towards the first type of cinema. And yet, somehow, it works. If it were only a romantic drama or cheap thriller, it would probably be disappointingly mundane; yet, through some good acting performances, a credible story and a refreshing sense of understatement, this literary adaptation from Ireland is engaging and quietly moving.
The main preoccupation of The Eclipse lies with with grief and catharsis, and it’s amazing that such an oft-visited theme can still be presented in a fresh manner. Like so many protagonists before him, Michael (Ciarán Hinds) has recently lost his wife; like a fair proportion of those, he has children to care for; and, like a few more still, he finds himself visited by ghosts. It seems odd in this sceptical age that the supernatural is so readily employed in films like this; but here, unlike in the otherwise impressive Genova (2008), it feels reasonably credible. Far stranger is the incorporation of jolting ‘horror’ sequences, which act as a contrast to the rest of the film’s subtlety. Thankfully, these are used sparingly and actually serve to take the story in unexpected directions.
The other primary narrative of the film, in which Michael and visiting American author Nicholas (Aidan Quinn) compete for the affections of another writer, is also well constructed. Quinn’s arrogant, aggressive character is clearly the villain of the piece, but he is far more than the sneering caricature that he could have been – in fact, he is played in a welcomely sympathetic fashion. In fact, all of the performers are excellent, particularly Hinds, who plays the role of grieving husband convincingly and movingly. One particular scene towards the end is so emotionally authentic that it will likely reduce a fair proportion of the audience to tears; an achievement that is testament to Hinds’ skill as an actor.
The film does contain some flaws. At times, things are signposted a little too obviously through camera technique and soundtrack; also, whilst shifts from the main protagonist’s perspective allow for some excellent scenes (mostly involving Quinn), it is a jarring technique that seldom works in subjective third-person narratives like this. These issues are, however, simply signs of directorial inexperience, which, overall, do little to mar Conor McPherson’s third feature. Subtle, moving and an interesting example of genre film-making, The Eclipse is an impressive film.
Directed by Conor McPherson
Starring Ciarán Hinds, Iben Hjejle, Aidan Quinn
RATING:
★ ★ ★ ★
