Stella Days (2011) Reviews

• A glimpse of a bygone era, set in 1950's rural Ireland

  grainne_mulcahy2012-04-13

  I took my Mum to see this film, never imagining I would enjoy it as much as I did. Martin Sheen is commendable as the world weary Fr. Daniel Barry - a man living with the legacy of a vocation thrust upon him as a young boy by ambitious parents. The film offers a snapshot of life in claustrophobic, rural 1950's Ireland, with overlaying themes of longing, control and unfulfilled desires - set against the backdrop of an oppressive status quo. Recommended - but don't expect to emerge from the cinema bellowing with laughter.

• A quiet journey

  tpurcell2022012-03-09

  In short this is not the fastest movie in the world, but it is not supposed to be. It is a very Irish film dealing with very Irish issues of the time. Knowing what we do now of the times then there is always a potentially dark side to this movie. but thanks to O'Sulllivan this never happens. Sheehan plays a priest placed in a rural Irish Parish after years in Rome and the US. Hoping to return to Rome his dreams are dashed when the local Bishop (Tom Hickey) tells him he is staying in the town and is charged with building a new church. Not being the best fund raiser in the world he gets nowhere until the new teacher, fresh from the big city (Dublin) gives him the idea.What follows is a very understated master class in the study of belonging, faith (in yourself, dreams and Him), loneliness and finding your place in life. The humour is calm, Stephen Rea plays his usual quiet dark self, here he plays the part of the local politician he is how conservative he makes the Bishop look radical. This is not the fastest movie in the world, but it brings you along with it. The performances wheel you in Martin Sheehan is every bit as great as ever, whether it is a young captain, the President of the United States or the local parish priest. This is a feel good story, told well. If you liked The Playboys (Gillies McKinnon, 1992) or Cinema Paridiso (Giuseppe Tornatore, 1988) then you will like this one.

• 'I thought I would find some meaning here. But its just poor-and damp'

  gradyharp2012-06-26

  Martin Sheen has landed a role that shows off his considerable talents in this small scale, sensitive and informed film from Tribeca. Based on a novel by Michael Doorley adapted for the screen by Antoine O. Flatharta and directed with sensitivity by Thaddeus O'Sullivan, the story takes place in Ireland of 1956, and the film opens with an introduction to bringing electricity into a very small town whose people have done very well without the new-fangled things, thank you very much. The priest of the town is Fr. Daniel Barry (Martin Sheen), a loving man who hears confessions, makes his rounds offering oils of last rites to please one elderly ill patient and caring for his flock in a very human manner, is a man of the World having the Church both in America and Rome, who has a passion for Cinema , Music and Language is left to languish in a rural community after being replaced in Rome by a younger priest with greater credentials for scholarship. The Parish Bishop (Tom Hickey) has decided his parish needs a new, modern, concrete church and he burdens the parish priests to raise the funds for the project. There is a politician in the town - Brendan (Stephen Rea) - who vies for power with Fr. Barry, seeking political clout to reign in the filthy temptations of the world from his followers. Fr. Barry, on the other hand, devises a method for raising funds (and catering to his love for picture shows) by building a cinema. He is supported by a new young schoolteacher Tim (Trystan Gravelle, a young Welsh actor of great potential) - Fr. Barry overrode Brendan, further alienating himself. Tim finds room and board with a local young mother Elaine (Amy Huberman) whose alcoholic abusive husband is off to London leaving their young son Joey (Joseph O'Sllivan) without the nurturing of a father. The tale pits the worldly priest against the power hungry fundamentalist politicians and the significant people of the story are at first injured and then find a manner of redemption. In the end the 'bringing of light' to the little town in Tipperary via electricity and modern times merely reveals a path for conscientious folk to escape it all. The cast is very strong, the musical score by Nicholas Hooper, and the countryside of Ireland is gorgeous. This is a little film with a big message that flies like a lark in the sky. Try to catch it! Grady Harp

• Village priest in 1950's Ireland wants to open Cinema despite opposition from Church and Politician.

  mgtheaven2012-02-24

  Fr Daniel Barry (Martin Sheen) ,a man of the World having served in America and Rome , who has a passion for Cinema , Music and Language is left to languish in a rural community in Co Tipperary in the 1950's. The Bishop is encouraging his Parish Priests to gather funds to build new churches in every Parish. Fr Barry is more inclined to set up a Cinema in the local hall, going so far as plundering the church building fund to do so. The film has a number of different issues going on, such as the Priest's own doubts about his vocation as he was sent by his parents to the priesthood, the rural electrification of Ireland in the 1950's, the effects of the necessary emigration of young Irish men in that era to send money home to families to survive and the power of the Church and the Politicians in the fledgling Irish State. The cast is a strong one. Martin Sheen , as Fr Barry, is resigned to life in the Village, his only beacons of light being the arrival of a young teacher in the village,( well played by Trystran Gravelle, ) full of encouragement and passion, though this falls apart when he indulges in passions of another king with his young landlady (Marcella Plunkett). Tom Hickey shines out as the Bishop with "A countryman's love of concrete", drooling over his church building project, as does Stephen Rea as the rural Politician with a dedicated opposition to "Hollywood Filth". The main fault of the Film is that it takes on a few too many themes at the same time. Despite that, it is still a worthwhile film. It is a valid look at 1950's Ireland, sometimes sentimental and quite often humorous!

• A priest who is a film buff tries to open a cinema in 1950s Ireland

  jarlath-lavelle2012-03-07

  I saw this recently in a sneak preview,I was expecting a bit more from the story and the cast but I was disappointed with both.It started off at a slow pace and stayed that way.That is not always a bad thing in a film,some can be wonderful and slow moving for example Spring,Summer,Autumn,Winter and Spring(2003)dir:Ki-duk Kim,but it would have been good to see it get out of 2nd gear.Martin Sheen could have phoned in his performance with the effort he put in to it and Stephen Rea played the part of... Stephen Rea,surprise that. The cinema was half full and it was a free show,which says a lot.People were laughing at a lot of the customs of Irish people and the influence of the church which was at the height of it's power in Ireland at that time.This saddened me as I was born,reared and still live in that land.Go see it if you want to have a look at rural Ireland in 1956 as the production values were excellent and very accurate.The sad thing about a freebie is that you cannot ask for your money back,but in a recession I cant say no as I paid 13.20euros the day before to see Hugo in 3D in the same cinema. J.Lavelle - Dublin,Ireland 2012