The film was produced under the title of Redemption of a Rogue: A Blues Opera. It was the feature film debut of award-winning playwright Philip Doherty, who is the artistic director of Cavan-based Gonzo Theatre Company[3] and is the creator of the comedy series The Begrudgers, which won the RTÉ 2012 StoryLand web drama competition.[4] Doherty narrates the film in five chapters.[4] It was filmed on location in Swanlinbar and Cavan Town.[5]
Aaron Monaghan took on the lead role of Jimmy Cullen, with Aisling O'Mara playing singer Masha. The film crew was supported by local theatre actors.[6] Funding was supplied by Creative Ireland 2019.[1]
The film music was composed by Robbie Perry. In addition to the pieces of music used in the film, mostly guitar, pieces by artists who come from Cavan can be heard.[7]
Plot
Jimmy Cullen has returned to the village of Ballylough in western County Cavan to visit his dying father. At the same time he is looking for redemption. He wants to free himself from the guilt and shame of his past and also say goodbye to the world after the death of his father. In a hardware store he is looking for a suitable rope, the best possible for his suicide.
As Jimmy's father draws his last breath, it suddenly starts to rain and thunder. However, in his will, Jimmy's father stipulates that the funeral should not take place on a rainy day. However, this makes Jimmy's planned suicide attempt difficult, as he realizes that he is in a time warp, a purgatory that will not let him die so easily. Days turn into weeks as he tries to kill himself during a never-ending rain in Ballylough. When he makes the acquaintance of the singer Masha, he realizes that she plays a crucial role on his path to salvation.[4][8]
The film scored 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 12 positive reviews.[12]Davide Abbatescianni [de] of the online film magazine Cineuropa writes in his review that in general this black comedy reflects somewhat the unsettling atmosphere of the Coen brothers' films, but that its uniqueness and brilliant writing may also have been influenced by Philip Doherty's earlier work in theatre. Overall, the result achieved by Doherty is truly commendable and will hopefully pave the way for his future film projects.[4] In The Guardian, Leslie Felperin gave it three stars out of five, saying that Redemption of a Rogue was "a little meandering and prone to repeat the same comedy beatsad infinitum," but that "The crisp editing neatens the edges of the gags, while regular musical interludes add a pleasant aural texture."[13]
Awards
Galway Film Fleadh 2020
Best Irish Film Award (Philip Doherty)
Best Irish First Feature Award (Philip Doherty)[14]
