Their father having recently died, three estranged Irish siblings come together under the same roof for the first time in years in director Tamar Simon Hoffs' feature adaptation of an original stage by Joseph O'Connor. As the wake ends and day fades to night, old tensions begin to emerge as revelations about child abuse, sibling rivalries, and suspected infidelities gradually come to light. Malcolm McDowell, Olivia Tracey, and Max Beesley star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Because Petrol is so grim, its few moments of repentance and reconciliation don't feel as contrived as they might otherwise; if any film has earned the right to be sentimental, it's this one.
If, as Tolstoy observed, happy families are alike, and each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way, the Dublin-set film Red Roses and Petrol didn't get the message, being a dysfunctional clan movie that feels dispiritingly like all the others.
In Red Roses and Petrol, a soused, post-funeral postmortem on a dysfunctional Dublin family, the misery seeps from the screen in cold, damp waves; by the end you'll be grabbing for the bottle yourself.
As bland and effortless to consume as a Fig Newton (sickly sweet goo included), this rote entry in the dysfunctional-family-gathers-at-a-funeral genre makes no demands on its viewers beyond a limp appeal to the tear ducts.
Hoffs locks down her characters in unimaginatively framed medium shots, while mixing in a few monochromatic flashbacks, some video footage of the dead patriarch and two fast-cut sequences in a vain attempt at visual variety.
I'm excited to see it at the Irish Arts Fest on the 19th. Heard Susanna Hoffs sings on the soundtrack too.
October 8, 2009
suzanna m
The variations of surprising turns and sharp humor made the movie a must see. It was relatable, and an overall great movie. It touches on and executes complex inner family issues that alot of movies dont tend to deviate deeply into. Also Max Beesly is a rediculously funny drunk. I'd recommend it to all.
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