Film Reviews

Speed Dating

• Rating:
• Director: Tony Herbert
• Starring: Don Wycherley
• Details: Ireland / 84mins (15A).

As he's approaching his 30th birthday, rich kid James Van Der Bexton (O'Connor) panics because he hasn't achieved anything with his life. Still heartbroken over the break up with his ex-girlfriend, James throws himself into the speed-dating scene in the hope to get her out of his mind. No joy there, so James turns his attention to the lovely Victoria (Olga Wehrly) and begins to stalk her. However, in the haste to avoid her one night, James is knocked down by drug traffickers, whom Victoria is somehow messed up with, and wakes up in hospital suffering from amnesia. His nurse Susan (Choy) takes a shine to him and the pair decide to join the speed-dating scene together. But the cops, including Don Wycherley's overly-suspicious detective, think James is involved with the drug-traffickers and don't believe he's suffering from amnesia. That was a lot, wasn't it? How did debut writer-director Tony Herbert manage to navigate it all? He didn't - Speed Dating is a mess. It's back to business for Irish movies - unfocused, nonsensical plots, Harp ad dialogue, Fair City lighting and one-liners that might have been slightly amusing a couple of years ago when inebriated in the pub. Wycherly and Choy do their best to act above the material at hand while O'Connor is better than the lines he's afforded. The kicking soundtrack, however, is the highlight.

Review by Gavin Burke