''Mister John'' is a 2013 drama film by Joe Lawlor and
Christine Molloy
Christine Molloy, is a UK-based artist known for her works of theatre, interactive art, and film.
Life and career
Molloy was born in Dublin, Ireland. She studied theatre in the late 1980s at Dartington College of Arts, UK, alongside her partne ...
(who are also known by the name of their creative partnership -
Desperate Optimists Desperate Optimists is the creative partnership of Christine Molloy and Joe Lawlor, which began in 1992. In an interview in 2008, Lawlor explained how they took inspiration from the title of Nicolas Mosley's book Hopeful Monsters.
The artistic wo ...
). It was their second feature film following their debut ''Helen'' and stars
Aidan Gillen
Aidan Murphy (born 24 April 1968), better known as Aidan Gillen (), is an Irish actor. He is the recipient of three Irish Film & Television Awards and has been nominated for a British Academy Television Award, a British Independent Film Award, a ...
,
Zoe Tay
Zoe Tay (; born 10 January 1968) is a Singaporean actress and former model. She has been referred to as the "Queen of Caldecott Hill" and "Ah Jie" (Top Actress) by the local media since the rise of her popularity in the 1990s. She is one of th ...
, Michael Thomas, and Claire Keelan.
Plot
Gerry Devine leaves London to deal with his deceased brother's business and family in Singapore. He becomes increasingly adrift in trying to cope with the loss of his brother and with his troubled marriage back home.
Cast
*
Aidan Gillen
Aidan Murphy (born 24 April 1968), better known as Aidan Gillen (), is an Irish actor. He is the recipient of three Irish Film & Television Awards and has been nominated for a British Academy Television Award, a British Independent Film Award, a ...
as Gerry Devine
*
Zoe Tay
Zoe Tay (; born 10 January 1968) is a Singaporean actress and former model. She has been referred to as the "Queen of Caldecott Hill" and "Ah Jie" (Top Actress) by the local media since the rise of her popularity in the 1990s. She is one of th ...
as Kim Devine, John's widow
*
Michael Thomas Michael or Mike Thomas may refer to:
Entertainment
* Michael M. Thomas (born 1936), American novelist of financial thrillers
* Michael Tilson Thomas (born 1944), American conductor, pianist, and composer
* Michael Thomas (actor) (1952–2019), Bri ...
as Lester
*
Claire Keelan
Claire Keelan (born 8 May 1975) is an English actress. She played Claire Ashcroft in ''Nathan Barley'' and Electroclash in '' No Heroics''.
Background
Keelan is a former member of the Royal Court Young People's Theatre.Vincent Tee as David Lim
* Michael Walsh, Andrew Bennett as John Devine, John Devine (Voice)
*
Janice Koh
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Edinburgh International Film Festival
The Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) is a film festival that runs for two weeks in June each year. Established in 1947, it is the world's oldest continually running film festival. EIFF presents both UK and international films (all ti ...
.
Reception
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
, a
review aggregator
A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...
, reports that 85% of 13 surveyed critics gave the film a positive review; the average rating is 7.17/10. Tim Robey of ''
The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally.
It was fo ...
'' rated it 4/5 stars and described Gillen's acting as a "major, moving performance" that stops the film from becoming pretentious. Matt Micucci of ''
Film Ireland
''Film Ireland'' is a cultural cinema magazine published from 1987–2013 by Filmbase (aka Film Base) Centre for Film and Video in Dublin, Ireland. It is Ireland's longest-running film publication.Flynn, Roderick and Patrick Brereton. "Film Bas ...
'' compared it to ''
Vertigo
Vertigo is a condition where a person has the sensation of movement or of surrounding objects moving when they are not. Often it feels like a spinning or swaying movement. This may be associated with nausea, vomiting, sweating, or difficulties w ...
'' and called it "an incredibly brave and ambitious film for today's cinematic landscape". Guy Lodge of ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' described it as "a coolly composed, quietly impressive character study anchored by Aidan Gillen's tremendous performance". Stephen Dalton of ''
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'' wrote, "But despite some quality ingredients, ''Mister John'' never quite plumbs the hidden depths of poetic profundity it seems to promise."