Film Reviews

Sensation

• Rating:
• Director: Tom Hall
• Starring: Domhnall Gleeson
• Details: Ireland / 104 mins (18)

Showcasing Domhnall Gleeson as a leading man for the first time, this overtly quirky tale has some very funny moments and is overall an engaging and fun watch. Gleeson is excellent as the awkward lead who finally comes out of his shell when his disabled father passes away - but when the plot needs wrapping up in the final stretch, things invariably get a little stale.
Gleeson is Donal, a young twentysomething in rural Ireland who we're introduced to just as he finds his father dead. Ironically, that discovery generates a new lease of life for him, and he begins to give in to the sexual urges that he couldn't indulge in while his old man is alive by ordering a prostitute. When said call girl Kim (kiwi actress Gordon) turns up, the two find that they have more in common through poor circumstances than actual chemistry, so decide to start a not-entirely-legal business together.
Firmly in offbeat mode from the start, Sensation won't appeal to everyone – especially those with a delicate sensibility – but it is a rare Irish film with characters that aren't amplified stereotypes or lame American knock-offs. Donal is someone who many people at home will recognise from their youth; a guy who just never really had a chance to grow past his teens properly. You'll feel for him, and it's this empathy that Gleeson manages to incite with ease. He's proven himself a more than capable actor in smaller roles in the past, but should find more leading roles on the back of his excellent work here.
Yet character-driven flicks that showcase idiosyncratic protagonists trying to wrap things up snugly very rarely work. Sensation feels built around Donal; not the other way around. He grows as the film moves on, but there's a certain narrative cul-de-sac that Hall backs into, and it takes the wind from its sails a little in the final third. Nonetheless, his good work up to that point is enough for it to get a pass.
Gleeson is exceptional and the humour is spot-on, but don't go in expecting a broad laugh-fest; this is eccentric stuff.

Review by Mike Sheridan