The Delinquent Season

The Delinquent Season tells the story of two married couples living in Dublin; Jim (Cillian Murphy) and Danielle (Eva Birthistle), and Chris (Andrew Scott) and Yvonne (Catherine Walker). As the foursome are having dinner one evening, an argument breaks out between Chris and Yvonne, with Chris behaving in a worryingly irrational manner. A few days later, Chris confides in Jim as to why he's been having mood swings of late, swearing Jim to secrecy. Over the next few weeks, as Chris's mood swings become physically aggressive, Yvonne turns to Jim for support, and soon, they are in the midst of an affair. Jim, however, continues to keep Chris's secret.

The film treats well the topic of middle-class malaise and ennui, deftly shifting the audience's sympathy multiple times throughout. However, in his feature directorial debut, Mark O'Rowe misses a great opportunity for a really powerful dénouement, letting the narrative drag on for 10 minutes or so too long. Still though, it's well acted, and extremely realistic, attaining an almost documentarian objectivity at times. Well worth checking out.

An intense mix of romance and suspense, The Delinquent Season provides a story that displays marriages gone terribly wrong. The director Mark O'Rowe gives a story about two Irish couples who are close friends, having dinners with each other and coordinating playdates between their children. The movie escalates when the two couples begin to get involved in a situation of adultery, testing the strength of marriage and unraveling surprising circumstances. I thought the movie itself was very entertaining, being filmed in a grim and serious way that had me attentive throughout. The acting was impressive as well, I specifically enjoyed the performance by Cillian Murphy. Overall, The Delinquent Season is an entertaining entry in the drama genre.

In a time when movies often don't fully portray the aftermath of betrayal, I felt this movie reminded me what I seem to have been indifferent to, dare I say forgotten. The main thing I think this film tries to do, is provoke its' audience to rethink the aftermath of betrayal. Nowadays, the whole relationship institution has dissolved into nothing substantial. Whilst emphasizing the collapse of loyalty between the partners and to the marriage itself, the movie has awakened the inevitable consequence of each disloyal act we partake in, when in a relationship.

The actors were fantastic and Cillian Murphy's performance definitely stood out. It's certainly a refreshing change to see him portray a character that's preserving a tiny portion of his own nature, so it seems.

I must say though, at first, I thought the movie was rather boring during the first twenty minutes. Only then did I realize that as boring as it was to watch the characters day to day life, it must be dreadful to actually live as such, thus explaining, and ultimately leading, to the acts of infidelity.

It was Cillian Murphy that attracted me to watch this movie. And I got so much more. Solid story with a presentation of moral dilemmas that have a lasting effect - both in thought and discussions. What would you do when impossible situations present themselves as attractive temptations? Cillian Murphy and Catherine Walker carry the movie, with great moments of Andrew Scott and Eva Birthistle. Solid hour and 3/4 of good acting. Most probably for the deeper thinkers, as this is not a light romance. I loved the ending and the outcome and the statement it makes. Counter-intuitive, I would say. Watch it to understand.

I enjoyed this drama story through its runtime. The story, the sudden twist, great screenplay real performances make it so watchable and enjoyable. Totally recommended!!