Two out of
Five stars
Running time:
94 mins
A melancholic tale about two Dubliners forced to live in their cars is certainly timely – it’s just a shame that Darragh Byrne’s debut feature can’t muster either a convincing plot or complex characterisations.
What’s it all about?
Mazda 66, The Car Park, Coast Road, Dublin – that’s the address of Parked’s protagonist, one Fred Daly (Colm Meaney), a shy, middle-aged, unemployed clock repairman who is continuously denied any assistance by Dublin’s uncaring, bureaucratic welfare office. With his life at a standstill (note here the film’s title), he strikes up an unlikely friendship with fellow car-dweller Carl (Colin Morgan), who by the way of a few hand brake turns, re-acquaints Fred with some joie de vivre, encouraging him to flirt with local pianist Juliana (Milka Ahlroth). In return Fred plays dad to Carl, looking out for the young drug addict who has left home after falling out with his father.
The Good
A drifting fifty-something waking up from the stupor of mid-life is a rather hackneyed plot line but one that’s given some mileage here with the film’s pertinent backdrop: a wintery Dublin in the throes of recession. Lots of shots of icy seas and chilly night-time skies capture the mood of the depressed city. Meanwhile Colm Meaney puts in a strong performance as the withdrawn, bumbling Fred.
The Bad
Parked is a film overloaded with obvious symbolism: from Fred’s inability to dive in at the deep end of the local swimming pool to Carl’s rather trite observation about the beauty of leaves falling off trees (which can’t help but stir up terrible memories of that infamous plastic bag scene – Sam Mendes’ American Beauty being another tale of middle-aged drifterdom).
Such lack of care and invention unfortunately also extends to the rather predictable plot and insipid characterisations. All of the actors put in perfectly acceptable performances but none can do much about the brittle plot-fodder stereotypes they are forced to work with. Colin Morgan definitely draws the short straw as Carl, forced to juggle dual, incompatible plot functions as Fred’s jovial, carefree sidekick and a dope addict teetering on the edge.
Worth Seeing?
Recently, Irish cinema has been enjoying something of a renaissance with smartly-written, engaging films such as The Guard, In Bruges, Garage and Once pulling in audiences across the world. Parked however, doesn’t stand with them and instead lives up to its title, being a rather clichéd, stagnant tale of mid-life woes and drug addiction.