From "Intermission," expect a low-budget art-house movie. Expect a departure from the usual Hollywood staple in both subject matter and style. Expect, of course, top billing for Colin Farrell, but be prepared to have all other expectations shattered during the opening scene.
"Intermission" is the twisted tale of the residents of a small Irish town who are thrown into the fallout caused by the breakup of a young couple. Through chance and coincidence, the large and varied cast is plunged into a hilarious thrill ride of quintessentially Irish shenanigans that entertain and shock. It isn't the most impressive tagline ever, but "Intermission" is a master of the feint.
Farrell has top billing, but even though he is not the main character in this movie, it is not so shameless a marketing scam. There are no stars in this movie, but each character shines.
Some moments in "Intermission" will catch you completely off guard. That is what should be expected of a good movie, but "Intermission" overshoots this prerequisite. There are moments that seem predictable and allow the viewer to follow with a degree of arrogance, only to be shocked again into a slew of laughter.
"Intermission" is based around a romance, but this movie is in no way a romance. Somehow, the movie has succeeded in putting out a message on life and love through a movie that runs like it belongs more alongside the grit of "Trainspotting" than the sappy spiral of your typical romance.
"Intermission" is destined to be perpetually compared to "Trainspotting." It's a shallow and unfair comparison and one that oozes na?vet? of the difference between the Scots and the Irish, but, all the same, it's a comparison that at least to Americans seems so obvious. This is not necessarily a bad thing for "Intermission."
In many ways, "Intermission" is a smarter movie than "Trainspotting." The movie explores and tackles its subject in a way that is refreshing, but not so far removed that it is unpalatable to American audiences. "Intermission," along with just one other movie this year, "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," should be recommended to everybody and watched more than once.
What's even more amazing about "Intermission" is that it is director John Crowley's first movie at the helm. It is a staggering bit of information that, again, can only be responded to with na?ve comparisons. If this is Crowley's "Shallow Grave" (director Danny Boyle's precursor to "Trainspotting"), or "Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" (Guy Ritchie's precursor to "Snatch"), then one can only wait in blissful agony for his sophomore effort.
