The Problem with People (2024)

November 4th, 2024
Author: Meredith Taylor

Dir: Chris Cottam | Cast: Colm Meaney, Paul Reiser, Lucianne McEvoy, Jane Levy, Dés Keogh | Comedy drama 102′

The film starts so reassuringly in the Emerald Isle with its stereotypical green landscapes stretching out to a lakeside in county Wicklow, all set to the lilting sound of the fiddle. What follows is a scrappy saga that gradually loses steam in championing that ’special relationship’, Americans fondly seeing Ireland as some sort of idyllic fatherland. Apart from a few minor gags, there’s none of the caustic wit of Martin McDonagh here. The Problem with People is directed by German-born Chris Cottam. Wally Marzano-Lenevich co-writes with Paul Reiser who also stars.

Back in the distant past two Irish cousins fell out and one moved to Brooklyn never to return. On his deathbed the Irish descendent’s fondest wish is to reunite the family, once and for all. So it falls on his son Ciáran (Meaney) to invite his New York-based cousin Barry (Reiser) to patch things up, although the two have never met. Warmly greeted by the locals on his arrival, Barry sees the benefits of Ciáran’s bucolic existence. But the bonhomie is short-lived. When the father dies his Will incudes Barry in half of the estate, creating a rift that spreads throughout the village.

Subplots involve Barry’s gay daughter (Levy) who soon joins the party and forms a bond with Ciaran’s ex-wife (McEvoy. The characters are given a contemporary twist but the plotlines are largely implausible with clunky dialogue lacking authenticity. With its strong cast, The Problem with People works best as a riff on family relationships, grief and remembrance with arguably greater appeal for US audiences than those on this side of the Atlantic. @MeredithTaylor

ON RELEASE IN CINEMAS IN UK AND IRELAND.

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