Foxes

An Irish/Czech Republic co-production, Mira Fornayova's film attempts to get under the fingernails of what it's like being a foreign national in a new country. Mixed results it may be, but there are elements of Foxes that are likeable.

As Foxes opens, Betka (Derzsi) has been dumped by her Irish boyfriend and she isn't taking it too well. Volatile and unhinged, Bekta has been in Ireland for an unknown period of time, relying on her settled sister, Tina (Banczi), to set her up with au pair work. To say there's a little tension between the Czech sisters is an understatement and director Fornayova keeps her cards close to her chest as to the reason why, but there are hints that is has something to do with Tina's fiancée Steve (Monaghan) who seems uneasy in Betka's presence. As Betka walks out on her latest job, she flits about Dublin crashing in a squat, new beau Mike's (Nicholas Pinnock) and at her sister's... But the unspoken history between the siblings has to be confronted at some stage.

In her first role, Reka Derzsi delivers a commanding performance that is tough to pull off, as Betka is never feeling just one emotion at a time; she's never just sad, or happy, or depressed, or suicidal - she's all of them at the same time. There is a reason why she's like this and the audience is expecting to find out in the reveal, which is still a little confusing, but by that stage Betka has slumped into the arena of frustration. Fornayova hopes that the viewer will stay on board until the denouement but her perpetual unpredictability and explosive outbursts kill any sympathy for the character. Derzsi however must be applauded for keeping her watchable despite this. Shees not on her own: Monaghan and Banczi flesh out their characters although they're not granted the ample screen time given to the star.

Fornayova's patient, observational direction suggests a confident filmmaker, but the comparison between foreign nationals and foxes is a little harsh: foxes are deemed an irritation, but can slip about the city unnoticed. Fornayova's contention is that they are one and the same.