A film with me in it (Ian Fitzgibon) is an Irish black comedy, it is fast paced, the dialogue is sharp and the camera work is exceptional.
The film follows Mark (Mark Doherty) and his alcoholic friend Pierce (Dylan Moran), Mark is an aspiring actor and Pierce an aspiring screen writer and director. They are both down on hard times, very little is going for them. Then three accidental deaths occur in Marks dilapidated flat.
The plot is sharp and despite its obvious dark subject matter the film is a comedy gem, with Dylan Moran’s Pierce hilarious and Dohertys Mark the ideal foil for him. But while the plot is strong, and the comedy excellent it is in the camera work that A film with me in it really stands out, its fast tilts and drops react to accidents, and the camera floats and plods with the characters to give the audience a sense of their mental state. It is the camera work that adds the extra dimension to take this from being a good comedy to being a great film. The score adds a sense of dread, ticking away like a clock it brings an urgency which makes the comedy hit harder and the characters increasing distress more powerful.
The film isn’t without a sense of Post-modernity as the two are trying to write a script around lead character Mark, only for these co-incidentals to create one for them. Pierce notes films such as Fargo during the film, and that is an obvious inspiration to this film.
A film with me in it is fantastic dark comedy which doesn’t pull its punches, which is refreshing. It isn’t a laugh a minute Hollywood comedy, it is rather subtle humour, which is to the films credit. Combined with excellent cinematography and a wonderful performance by Moran this is a film definitely worth watching.
A film with me in it is released on DVD October 10th 2011.
