(9) Movie Review

According to the ‘Making of My Left Foot’ segment on the Special Edition DVD, Daniel Day-Lewis broke two ribs during filming from assuming the hunched-over position in his wheelchair throughout the shoot. He also refused to come out of character until the cameras stopped rolling.

Another thoroughbred from the Irish film stable…

ZONAD

Director: John Carney, Kieran Carney

Starring:  Simon Delaney, Janice Byrne, Donna Dent, Rory Keenan

Running time: 1hr 22 mins

If you buy into the theory that the title of a film acts as, let’s say, an hors d’oeuvres, a taste of what’s to come, then ‘Zonad’ let’s the cat well and truly out of the bag. Simply put, this, in terms of story and plotline, is ridiculous. Only the sort of gormless, head-scratching twit that believes head-shops, and not airlines, can issue frequent flyer miles would swallow this one whole; but, then, that’s what makes the whole affair so knee-slappingly hilarious.  

The story begins in rural, backwater Ireland. That rarest of inter-planetary phenomenon, a meteor shower, was streaking the sky like a street-lamp does a windscreen, and an overweight stranger, dressed from head to toe in red latex, has passed out in the living room of a local family. Understandably, they seem a little taken aback, shocked by the uninvited guest now beached and snoring heavily on their carpet. They prod, poke and kick-him as a hairdresser does a car-tyre, until he eventually wakes up and spreads the good, if hilarious word. “I am Zonad”, he says. “An extra-terrestrial from another planet, sent to earth on a reconnaissance mission.” And that, more or less, is that. The family, for all their gullible charm, don’t think to second guess his otherwordly delusions, instead taking him in as one of their own. Zonad is then unleashed on the local community, soon cashing in on his new-found celebrity by whoring and boozing to his alien hearts content. Genius.

In this variety of film – as in off-kilter, slap-stick, wonderfully silly – the script, more so than in other genres, is key to success. Every ounce of it’s flesh must, must, must be peppered with razor-witted one-liners. The narrative has to stand up to feature length stress tests. And characters need to be defined, likeable and, in this case, borrowed from, but not based in, reality. Thankfully, ‘Zonad’ ticks each and every one of the boxes. There are, obviously, shortcomings. Not least the fact that the joke - fat man in latex thinks he’s an alien - runs out steam toward the end. And the view that, perhaps, this would make a better TV series than it does a film. But, overall, this is a sure-fire way to turn that frown upside side and send soft-drinks gushing at breakneck speeds from your nostrils. It’s funny. Very. Simon Delaney (‘Batchelors Walk’, ‘Happy Ever Afters’) puts a death-grip on the lead-role, rubber-stamping his enviable talent for physical comedy. And director’s John and Kieran Carney, who boa

st ‘Once’ among their credits, crown from the inexact sciences of comedic filmmaking with a short-tailed gem on their hands. Go and see it. Simples.