A powerful new Irish movie is available to watch from today

This is a film that could bring a tear to your eye.

The breakthrough movie for writer-director Dave Byrne, its story revolves around Catherine (a fiercely likeable Anne McCrudden), a woman in her 60s who has lived for decades with her husband on a farm in north Dublin.

When her partner dies suddenly, Catherine discovers he was keeping secrets. Not only has he left her with a heap of debts, but he had also been having an affair.

As Catherine tries to summon the inner strength required to fix the damage her husband left in his wake and save the family business, the widow is forced to push herself out of her comfort zone.

Aided by her new and also recently widowed friend, Tony (an excellent Patrick Bergin, Sleeping with the Enemy), she embarks on a journey of self-discovery. Part of this involves asking herself, for the first time in what must be decades, what it is that she really wants out of life.

At around 77 minutes in length, excluding credits, Sunphlowers is a small, intimate and quiet movie with not a lot of surprises. Yet, that is also where its strength lies.

Sunphlowers is a film that mostly eschews movie melodramatics and typical plot mechanics in favour of authenticity. It's an approach that really works since the dilemma that Catherine finds herself in is a very believable one that is not out of the realm of possibility for many people.

This more grounded style of storytelling also makes the small moments of human decency amidst the lead character's struggles feel absolutely massive and hit harder emotionally. Examples include Tony's unwavering support for his new friend or the words of encouragement that Catherine gets from a teacher at her community art class (played by musician Jerry Fish, in a lively supporting turn).

Sunphlowers (the misspelling of the title is explained in one of the film's best scenes) was made on a low budget, and sometimes one wishes the direction were a touch more dynamic. Plus, with its short running time, it occasionally feels like certain plot threads are left underdeveloped or underexplored.

Yet, it's hard to care too much about these issues, especially when the movie ends on such a moving and powerful note.

Sunphlowers is in Irish cinemas now

...

Turn your home into a cinema with this projector 

Do you love movies? Have you ever dreamt of turning your home into your own cinema?

If so, then you may be interested in a home theatre projector we spotted on sale on Amazon with “impressive quality”.

The 4K projector has the likes of YouTube, Netflix and Prime Video built-in, so you can access thousands of films and shows without an additional TV stick, and you can also connect it to Bluetooth on your phone and laptop.

It’s currently priced at €53.52 in a limited-time deal on the Amazon website.

This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission on any sales generated from it.