259. Kissing Candice; movie review

KISSING CANDICE
Cert 15
108 mins
BBFC advice: Contains very strong language, strong threat, drugs misuse

It is possible to be torn by a movie - to bathe in moments which are really evocative or clever and be left scratching one's head in bafflement during other scenes.
Such was my experience of Aoife McArdle's Kissing Candice - a drama about a 17-year-old's first lust, difficult home life and battle with epilepsy.
Its first plus point is its lead - Ann Skelly who captures the transition between girl and woman with total conviction.
And then there is the backdrop - modern-day Northern Ireland where people are trying to acclimatise themselves to a peace which is punctuated by mistrust.
Skelly's title character has a dream about falling for an older boy (Ryan Lincoln) - little knowing that he is part of a gang of troublemakers who her father (John Lynch) believes is connected with the disappearance of her brother.
Her dad's torment and bumbling attempts to protect her act as a barrier between the two.
Meanwhile, she continues to try carve her own way - in collusion with her rebellious best friend (Caitriona Ennis).
The viciousness of the gang, the potential love affair and the devastation of a parent over his boy provide a strong story thread.
Kissing Candice has considerable potential but I couldn't help feeling that McArdle had tried too hard  to make it stand out.
She has sculpted entirely believable characters, a gritty, wince-inducing storyline against a landscape which is part harsh, part beautiful.
However, she darts off into surreal tangents which only serve to distract the viewer rather than add depth to their experience.
That said, it was compelling enough for me to want to see more of her work.

Reasons to watch: Compelling story well acted
Reasons to avoid: Too many surreal tangents

Laughs: None
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: Blink and you'd miss it
Overall rating: 6.5/10

Director quote - Aoife McArdle: "I had always wanted to write an Irish youth film that felt different — vivid, anarchic, and immersive… almost a dark fairy tale, where the place, its history and atmosphere, was as much of a character as its residents."

The big question - When will The Troubles truly be in the past?

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