A study of a terrible secret festering within an already shattered Irish family, The Sparrow marks the feature debut of writer-director Michael Kinirons and the arrival of star Ollie West. The evidence in this dark drama says we'll be hearing more about both.
West plays Kevin, a teenage misfit trying to make sense of the world following the death of his mother in a car accident. At home are his cadet school-bound older brother (Éanna Hardwicke), younger sister (Michelle Gleeson), and former-soldier father (David O'Hara). Dad's contempt for his middle child - "You can't just be normal, can you?" - is as constant as it is cruel.
Backdrop set, Kevin's world is turned upside down again early in the film - a shocking reminder to the audience of how life can change in an instant.
As the watcher and wanderer at the heart of this story, West delivers in his first big-screen role - plenty to work with but never overdoing it. The man behind the lens, meanwhile - a Best First Feature winner at the Galway Film Fleadh - proves adept at depicting the saying-too-little-said-too-much dynamic that ravages many a father-son relationship.
The metaphor involving the wounded bird of the film's title is laboured, but overall this is a job well done and a fine showcase of acting talent right across a cast. As far from a summer movie as you can find, if that's what you're trying to find.
Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.
