(28 DAYS meets ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO‘S NEST and HAWKS plus THE BREAKFAST CLUB multiplied by LOST IN TRANSLATION equals… this flick)
CAST: Cillian Murphy, Tricia Vessey, Jonathan Jackson, Stephen Rea
DIRECTOR: John Carney
WARNING: Some SPOILERS and some damn good reasons to choose life - straight ahead…
IT’S LIKE THIS: Terminal smart-ass Jonathan Breech (Cillian Murphy) is a handsome Dubliner who’s still reeling from the death of his father, although he does a bang-up job of hiding it. Speaking of bang-up jobs, that’s exactly what happens to his car when he drives it off a steep cliff after his Pops’ funeral. Guess he wasn’t so great at hiding his grief, after all, eh? At any rate, Jonathan survives the horrific crash with nothing more than - wait for it - a broken little finger. Yes, folks. An accident that would’ve demolished everyone else, our smart-ass hero survives with nothing more than a boo-boo on one corner of his hand. Talk about good luck - or maybe just good shock absorbers.
Anyhow, Jonathan winds up in a psychiatric hospital because of his “suicide attempt” and ends up under the care of the gentle-but-tough shrink, Dr. Figure (Stephen Rea). No, that is not a typo, folks. That is his actual name. I wonder what his first name is? Go? That would be awesome. But I digress. Anyhow, Jonathan meets a couple of fellow patients who begin to have an impact on his terminally flippant attitude towards life and his recent ineffective attempt to end it. They are: (1) Rachel (Tricia Vessey), sweet and vulnerable American chick whose mother committed suicide when she was just a girl; and (2) Toby (Jonathan Jackson), fellow Irishman who is still haunted by his brother’s death years ago. You’d think that three folks with suicide in their pasts, hanging out together, would be a disaster. Turns out this trio is almost as fun as Chris Evans’ twin (AKA James T) when he’s had a whole bottle of Jameson’s. As in: “Why are we still wearing clothes, dude?” Let’s just say that this hospital is more git-down than the one in ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST. Lots more.
THE DUDE (OR DUDETTE) MOST LIKELY TO SAVE THE DAY: You’d think Dr. Figure (giggle). But it’s actually Jonathan, who turns out to be far more level-headed than we realized. Guess that car crash knocked some sense into that brain of his.
EYE CANDY MOST LIKELY TO FIRE UP A WOODY: Cillian Murphy’s got cheekbones that look like they were sculpted out of ice. In short: he’s fucking gorgeous. Tricia Vessey reminds me of a cross between Jennifer Connelly and Connie Nielsen. And Jonathan Jackson has got that boy-next-door thing going in a big way. These three make beautiful patients-in-crime, er, partners-in-crime:
MOST INTENTIONALLY EXCITING SCENE: Jonathan and Toby sneaking out of the hospital and heading down to the local pub to slam back some lagers - only to piss off a bunch of locals. Let’s just say our boys learn just how fast they can really haul ass.
MOST UNINTENTIONALLY EXCITING SCENE: Dr. Figure‘s (ha ha) group therapy sessions. I‘ve seen SOUTH PARK episodes that were less hilarious. And I’m the World’s Biggest South Park Fan.
HOTTEST SCENE: Jonathan comforting Rachel at the very end. Nothing sexier than a man who is smart, sincere, and sarcastic. The Three S’s. Don’t settle for anything less.
INQUIRING MINDS WANT TO KNOW: Will Jonathan admit that he needs help? Will he let Dr. Figure help him? And what about Rachel and Toby? Are they in danger of relapsing, too? Or will Jonathan be able to influence them for the better just as much as they influence him? Will these three be able to return to normal life outside the hospital? Or are they pretty much going to spend their whole lives there like that old crone who says she’s been a patient there since, well, probably since the Victorian era? Let’s fucking hope not.
WHY YOU SHOULD WATCH “ON THE EDGE”: If you like comedy-dramas with an edge and unexpected depths. And if you want to see Cillian Murphy in his feature film debut.
WHY YOU MAY NOT ENJOY “ON THE EDGE”: If you don’t like comedy-dramas that tackle dark subject matters like suicide and psychiatric hospitals. If so, steer clear and watch a fluffy rom-com instead.
BUT, SERIOUSLY: This film was recommended to me via email by a reader who wrote that she loved its unusual blend of sardonic humor and sincere melancholy, and that it’s one of her favorite films. While I am probably not as enamored of it as she is, I have to admit that ON THE EDGE starts out as an average flick, then becomes above average, and is finally elevated to the level of “good” by a breathtaking and heartbreaking final five minutes. In other words, it gets better as it goes along - until it reaches an exceedingly lovely ending. More on that later.
The performances of Cillian Murphy, Tricia Vessey, Jonathan Jackson, and Stephen Rea are also key to the film’s high rating. Rea is the model of low-key authority and compassion as the appropriately named Dr. Figure - he’s definitely someone the patients can look up to. But his is not the film’s strongest performance. Jonathan Jackson and Cillian Murphy are also quite good as, respectively, the tentative-but-tough Toby, and the sarcastic-but-soulful Jonathan. Both Jackson and Murphy have shared and individual scenes where they command the screen in different ways: Jackson gives Toby a quiet strength, while Murphy imbues Jonathan with a ballsy, irresistible charisma. Jackson would go on to equally strong work in the Robin Williams-Al Pacino thriller INSOMNIA, and Murphy would bring his potent screen presence to future films like 28 DAYS LATER, BATMAN BEGINS, SUNSHINE, and INCEPTION.
However, as good as these guys are, ON THE EDGE’s best performance comes from its leading lady. As the troubled Rachel, Tricia Vessey is an interesting mix of bold sexuality, wry humor, and child-like vulnerability. Vessey is equally believable when Rachel aggressively comes on to Jonathan in the bathroom, as she is when Rachel finally let’s her defenses down and allows Jonathan to hear about the story of her dead (and possibly suicidal) mother. The expressions that Vessey conveys on Rachel’s face as she confides in Jonathan are so hypnotic and transparent, you can almost read her thoughts before she even speaks a single word. That is talent, and Vessey has it in spades. This scene is one of the reasons the film gets a ***½ rating. I can’t wait to see the rest of Ms. Vessey's oeuvre.
The other great scene is the final five-minute sequence that ends the film on the perfect note of melancholy, redemption, and hope. I won’t spoil it, but I will say that it is one of the most beautiful endings I have seen in awhile. It actually reminds me of the ending of LOST IN TRANSLATION - an ending that is played only with expressions, gestures, and words that we can‘t hear. This allows us to bring our own interpretations to what we just saw, and keeps us thinking about it long after the end credits have rolled. This scene is made even more memorable with David Gray’s lovely song “Please Forgive Me” playing on the soundtrack as Jonathan and Rachel… well, like I said I won’t spoil it.
Suffice it to say, the ending perfectly illustrates the conflict faced by the heroes of ON THE EDGE: when life becomes too hard, how do you find the courage and strength to choose life? For most of us, it’s quite easy. For these people, though, there are no easy answers. And Murphy, Jackson, and - especially - Vessey beautifully express that.
In closing, please absorb ON THE EDGE's theme song - the lovely "Please Forgive Me" by David Gray. Lyrics that are both lovely and true. Best part is between 3:30 and 4:20...
