Garage [2007] [DVD]

This film is absolutely incredible. It captures the feel of small lives in a small Irish town to perfection. I've never seen a better performance in an Irish film than Pat Shortt's heart-breaking performance here.

My personal test of a good film is how long it stays in the memory. I've been thinking about this film alot since I watched in last weekend. Dont miss it.

Being from Ireland, I had heard alot about this film 4 or 5 months ago when it cleaned up at the IFTA's (Irish Film and Television Awards) so I was looking forward to seeing this and how one of Ireland's top comedians (Pat Shortt who plays Josie) fitted into the big screen in a serious role.

Without giving too much of the plot away, it is set in deep rural Ireland where Josie (a very simple but kind hearted man) works in a quiet filling station and takes pride in his job so much that he bases his whole life around it. Josie - a man who one knows wouldn't hurt a fly - is the subject of much ridicule in the village's pub and he is easily taken advantage of. When a new apprentice starts working with Josie (15yr old David), the two strike up a good friendship ...... mainly due to Josie's below average intelligence and child-like characteristics. But things take an unexpected turn 30 mins from the end as Josie makes a simple but serious mistake that determines the rest of his life.

As I am from rural Ireland, I immediately associated with the small Irish village and all the main characters in the film as I know people in my own life just like them . This film then may seem 'foreign' and highly fictious to people from cities or urban areas in the UK or Ireland but for me it was a film that stayed with me for a long time due to its' heartbreaking ending. Highly recommended.

Very rarely do I watch a film and spend the following weeks thinking about. Very rarely do I finish watching a film as awe struck as I was after watching Garage. It is quite simply wonderful. Of course the plaudits are few and far between as it seems to have gone un-noticed by many. I certainly wasn't aware of it until fairly recently. Nevertheless, this film is a must watch for everyone. It challenges the human condition. What despicable creatures we can be. The pain applied to those we consider outcasts comes across chillingly here. Josie is played (and played with utter brilliance by Pat Shrott). He is a middle aged man who works in a failing garage in rural Ireland. He is devoted and loyal. Yet taken for granted and bullied by many of those that choose to interact with him. Much of the film is spent with scenes with little dialogue. Words are not necessary to understand the loneliness that Josie endures. The simple shots employed are used to portray a powerful and emotional message. The life Josie leads is structured and he often does the same thing at the same time day after day. The tender way in which these scenes are delivered are at times heart breaking. They are sometimes broken by laugh out loud moments of humour.

Despite the sense of a need to have a companion when Josie does have the opportunity to interact you realise he is limited in his knowledge in how to speak and interact with another human being. He hasn't done it very often so is soon short of ideas after talking about subjects such as the weather. Again, the contempt in which he is treated goes un-noticed by Josie but he does not understand it. Indeed his best chum is probably the local horse whom he feeds apples. This is a beautifully told part of the story and never feels forced. It is lovingly told yet almost always feels desperate - you can't help but feel for Josie and the lonely existence he is forced to live beacuse to the villagers he is an outcast. Even those that appear to be his friends aren't actually his friends. They all feel superior to him and treat him with disdain. The plot of the film is something I won't divulge too much so as not to spoil it for anyone that chooses to take a chance on this wonderful film. But have no doubt that this film is compelling from the off and quite simply stunning.

Josie is eventually partnered with a young man from the village who helps him with the garage. There really isn't work for two but Josie shows him the ropes (the cash register is clearly something he hasn't mastered). The pair soon become friends but things take a turn for the worse later on. This story is tragic yet at times amusing. The scenery is beautiful and the pacing spot on. Josie wears his Australian cap almost all the time yet you know he has never been there. You feel he hasn't even been to Dublin. I didn't really want it to end. I wanted to speak to Josie myself and tell him he wasn't alone. Have a beer with him and shoot some pool or watch some rugby. It is this that probably struck me most. That there are almost certainly people like Josie out there. That with a little kindness would actually have lives to live rather than exist in misery on their own. The end, when it arrives is tear jerking and without doubt appalling.

Whilst Pat Shrott steals the show the supporting cast should be mentioned. They all play their parts brilliantly. The scene involving the pups on the bridge is particularly harrowing yet clinical in its application. I struggle to find anything that I didn't like about this film. It is just beautiful. This film is masterful and I urge you to take a chance on it. I don't think you will regret it.