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Criminal cousins try to rebuild their lives in Cathal Nally’s likably quirky, low-budget debut feature

This ultra-low-budget feature about working-class cousins on temporary release from Dublin’s Mountjoy prison feels a bit like the sort of sketchy, acoustic-sharp Irish black comedy that Lenny Abrahamson or Martin McDonagh (from the In Bruges period) made in their early years, before they went electric and found mega-fame Stateside directing the likes of Room and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. That’s a high compliment, and possibly a teensy bit more than Be Good or Be Gone deserves, given it’s a smidge trite and over-the-top in places – but it definitely has spark.

Its strongest suit is the chemistry between Les Martin (who also co-wrote the script with Paul Murphy) and impish master of deadpan Declan Mills, who play Ste and Weed respectively They’re ordinary types from Dublin’s rougher zones who,...

World premieres include Ivan Kavanagh’s thriller ‘Son’ and David Burke’s ‘The Father of the Cyborgs’.

World premieres of Ivan Kavanagh’s thriller Son and David Burke’s The Father of the Cyborgs are among the new Irish titles that will screen at this year’s Dublin International Film Festival (Diff) (March 3-14).

The edition of Diff, which recently announced it would take place online-only due to the ongoing pandemic, has selected acclaimed world cinema titles including Korean-American awards contender Minari, Ben Sharrock’s UK comedy-drama Limbo, French feature Gagarine and Greek drama Apples.

Guests participating virtually will include Stanley Tucci and Colin Firth,...

The premise of a man leaving jail and returning home, only to be beset by problems is a well-worn one and perhaps that's why Cathal Nally struggled to get funding and had to self-finance his feature debut. It was certainly worth the effort as the end result has a pleasing freshness and offers a winning mix of grit, heart and charm.

Ste (Les Martin) is the man in question, freed for four days parole in Dublin with his cousin Weed (Declan Mills) - theirs is a world where everything, including life, can be abruptly abbreviated, no wonder nobody has time for two-syllable names. Ste, who has a girlfriend, Dee (Jenny-Lee Masterson) and young daughter Ellie Mae - the very length of whose name suggests hope - on the outside is the more thoughtful of the two. Weed, meanwhile, falls into the 'impulsive side-kick' territory, looking to score a heroin fix as.