A Date for Mad Mary
Director: Darren Thornton
Talent: Seána Kerslake, Charleigh Bailey, Tara Lee, Denise McCormack
Release Date: 2nd September
Mary (Kerslake) is released from prison just in time to be bridesmaid at the wedding of her best friend Charlene (Bailey). Except Charlene doesn’t really seem to be Mary’s best friend any more, spending more time with her fiancé and dull maid-of-honour Leona (Shanahan) and ignoring Mary’s various calls and messages asking to go on nights out like they used to. Amidst several botched efforts at finding a man to bring to the wedding, and thus hopefully eschewing her ‘mad’ reputation, Mary meets Jess (Lee), an aloof and intriguing musician and photographer: but is Mary’s attraction to her more than simply platonic?
Writer and director team Darren and Colin Thornton deliver a warm and witty take on proceedings that might in other hands have veered into the predictable. Kerslake is charming in the lead role, and the film makes the most of its Drogheda setting while remaining universal in its appeal. Funny and heartfelt.
Words: Oisín Murphy-Hall
