Joyride

source: Joyride

My Review- Joyride My Rating 9/10 Another impressive Irish film with yet another impressive and talented new actor 14 year old Charlie Reid from County Kildare . I recently reviewed another recent movie An Irish Goodbye also mentioning it's teenage star Catherine Clinch another 14 year old as a future actor to watch out for . I can say the same for Charlie Reid who plays Mully a bright young teenager who's father James played by Lochlann O'Mearáin is leading him down the wrong path. Young Mully's mother has recently died of cancer so he's at a very vulnerable point in his life where he could follow in his father's footsteps or go the right way." At a pub benefit to raise money for cancer in memory of his mother Mully can see his father wants to steal the money that's meant for charity so he steals it himself rather than let his Dad waste it . He then steals a taxi rather with his father in pursuit and when he gets far enough away much to his surprise which is not a pleasant one finds that he has unwittingly kidnapped a drunken woman ,inappropriately named Joy plus her newborn baby . Joy a Solicitor didn't want a baby ,didn't think she was still of childbearing age and doesn't even know who the father is ? The unnamed baby could have even been conceived on a drunken spree ,she wouldn't know . Olivia Coleman plays Joy and delivers yet another superb performance her character roles just get better and better and she for me is right up there on my top ten list of contemporary Actresses in movies and television today . I've watched her play Royalty, a serial killer, a mentally disturbed woman ,a socialite, a daughter caring for an ailing father, a wicked Godmother, Madam Thénardier in Les Miz a Detective and the list goes on , what next? Her character is this film Joy is a solicitor who we first see in a drunken stupor asleep in the back of the stolen taxi with her unnamed baby which she is hoping to offload to her sister who lives miles away in Lanzarote , as she hasn't bonded with the baby at all . This is where this joyful at times very humorous and very touching road trip begins with the 2 runaways Mully and Joy who at first seem such an unlikely pair but soon realise they have much in common as they negotiate the terms of their journey. Young Mully has more maternal instinct in his little finger than Joy has in her whole body . Joy just want to move forward as she keeps telling Mully . In a touching scene full of Irish charm Mully asks if the baby has a name ? Joy doesn't reply then spies a robin which just happened to be a symbol for Mully's deceased mother. Without knowing this Joy replies that the baby's name is Robin and we begin to see a thawing out of her character but not before arguments and insults on both sides . The chemistry between Olivia Coleman and young Charlie Reid is obvious from the beginning they must have really enjoyed working together. Skilfully directed by Emer Reynolds from a screenplay by Ailbhe Keogan who also wrote the terrific television 2022 series Bad Sisters have created a very interesting and entertaining movie. There were a few puzzling plot lines for me but I put that down to Irish blarney no fact checker required because this refreshingly is not based on any true events . Beautifully Filmed in locations that include Tralee Kerry Airport and the beach at Ardfert in County Kerry Ireland Joyride for me was a joy to be sure to be sure to be sure ......

I watched this on my flight home from England, and I cried so many times just from being so emotionally invested. It was charming, raw, and endearing. It was a real testimony to how humans of any age need someone they can lean on and trust. That someone just supporting you can get you through. I found this to be a beautiful, heartfelt film. Olivia was AMAZING as always, and I wept watching her struggle to let her guard down and to let herself welcome love. I don't understand the low reviews, unless you just do not understand what the story was trying to portray. There was a wholesome juxtaposition of a young boy forced to care for himself and be tough, while deep down missing his loving mother..and a woman forced into motherhood, unsure that she has what it takes to give her baby the love and care she needs. I found it beautiful in how simple it was.

Dramatic, minimalistic, colorful. Slow moving with up and coming direction with Olivia Coleman's phenomenal acting. Also Charles Reid might be the best child actor I've ever seen. Very real life situations where some actually behave erratic under duress or indecisiveness. The shortcomings were covered, though not fully by superb acting of nearly all of the small cast which was sufficient for this production. Weaknesses were the plot(s) and clueless objectives. Also Olivia was a bit stereotyped for the role after her performance in The Lost Daughter. Cinematography could have been better especially given the countryside backdrop.