Adam & Paul

This is a touching and frank portrayal of a day in the life of two Dublin junkies called Adam and Paul and their modern day "odessy" around Dublin, a Dublin not often seen on screen.

Adam and Paul have reached rock bottom and spend their entire day walking around Dublin trying to beg, borrow or steal enough money to secure their next fix. There are some bittersweet moments of comedy that come from tragedy in it's rawest form with both of the lead actors turning in excellent performances as the down and out Adam and Paul.

The fact that the film makers manage to get the audience on the side of Adam and Paul is a testament to how well written and acted a piece this is. It's hard not to empathise with them as they struggle to find their next fix.

This is a story that will stay with you.

I first saw this film a couple of years back and had forgotten the names of the characters (a reflection on my memory NOT the film!). To my delight, I chanced to catch it again on TV this year.

Though it may help to have a liberal attitude, it's not necessary to be acquainted with the demi-monde depicted here to appreciate the truthfulness shown in its writing and execution. The dark humour is grotesque and incisive.... and very, very funny.

It might be easy to overlook the fact that the Down's Syndrome lad is actually an ACTOR doing his thing (because of the cringe-worthy nature of the scene here), but the incident serves to illustrate in a shocking way the amorality of the world that Adam and Paul inhabit. It's uncomfortable viewing, but its heart is in the right place.

That aside, there are more laugh-out-loud moments than the subject matter should hope to muster, and the senses of both pathos and revulsion at the end are masterfully combined. A truly unforgettable treat.

I saw this film twice and I really enjoyed it. I think that you cannot really compare it with Cowboys and Angels or Intermission (both of which I enjoyed) because it is much more surreal at times, the script is much less plot-driven and more focused on characters. It taps into a different cinematic tradition, much more 'European' than either of those two film. O'Halloran has an ear for language and accent, and allowing his characters to say some beautiful (simple) things: Paul says, frustrated, 'why can't things be easy, why can't we just be...relaxed'. It's not just about heroin addicts - it's about Dublin's invisible population, post-Celtic Tiger, those we don't want to deal with. The guy from Bulgaria takes some abuse from them and he replies 'who are you?', meaning they, i.e. two Irish men, are every bit as undesirable as he is. The humour in the film often consists of laughter that shocks you. The film is drawn out partly because the day in the life of an addict is very long and finding a score is SO important to them. The shock at my own relief when they did score was very apt in the film and I think skilfully done. It never preaches, just lets these sad characters be themselves. The cinematography is beautiful: Dublin comes out as a city of contradictions, with dirty back streets - where the Down's Syndrome boy is robbed - are juxtaposed with the flashy new 'Millenium Bridge', where Adam and Paul enjoy their hit. I do not consider this an "Irish" film and that is not why I would recommend it: it is beautifully scripted, acted and directed. It is just a great movie.

Everybody in the world ought to know that. Yet there are still people who do. Adam and Paul proves this as well as showing the hopeless deprivation homeless junkies exist in. It's not depressing, unless you're a junkie yourself and are heading in that direction.

In the course of one single day, Adam and Paul try to scam their way through hunger, friends and their relentless need for more heroin. They are clueless, zombified and about as dead as living people get. It's hard to feel sorry for them, in fact you'll probably feel as much contempt for them as their former friends (hardly first-class citizens themselves) do when they show up and mooch.

If you think your life is crap then you need only to compare it to Adam and Paul to cheer yourself up. And if you were ever tempted by drugs then this film ought to put you off that curiosity.

ADAM & PAUL is one of those zero budget films that turns out to be a lot, lot better than bigger-budgeted fare. It's a quirky Irish indie, doing what ONCE did for musicals for the drug genre if you look at it that way; the sparse narrative follows a couple of low life characters as they go through the course of a day shoplifting, mugging, and indulging in petty crime to get the money for their next fix.

There's something fresh and naturalistic about films like this and ADAM & PAUL is indeed a wonderful little production. The simple, episodic nature of the storyline brings this into comparison with the classic 'journey' narratives of old and the characters are delightfully scuzzy, which make the viewing experience all the more fun. In fact, I was surprised at how funny this is for such an unrelentingly grim tale; it's true to life, made with plenty of that Irish charm, so there's little to dislike here. Tom Murphy gives the best performance as the put-upon Paul - there wouldn't be much of a film without him - and knowing the actor died of cancer some three years after this film's release only adds to the bittersweet nature of the production.