Keswick Film Club - The Problem With People

Synopsis

A very Irish comedy... written by an American ; you won't be shocked to know there are a lot of Irish gags, a family split down the middle and an American with bigger plans for the area than the Irish half of the family.

Colm Meaney plays Ciaran who sick father Fergus wants him to find the American cousin and heal the family rift. Job done, Ciaran invites cousin Barry over to meet the family. So far so good, but when Fergus dies, he has changed his will and left half his money to Barry...not so good for Ciaran.

"There's plenty here that's by the book, from the playful stereotyping of some of the villagers to the founding of the family feud in a dispute over a red-headed woman, but it's well played, and the American proves a little wilier that most of his archetypal predecessors, giving as good as he gets when Ciáran tries to break with his father's promises…

Underlying the comedy there's a touching exploration of grief and of the toll taken by serving as a carer for a long time. It gives the film heart and much-needed gravity so we can understand the strength of feeling behind the various conflicts, even when it's the pettiness of the characters' behaviour that drives the story" – Jennie Kermode, Eye for Film.