Songs For Amy

Things start off pretty well in this Galway-set rom-dram, with the boy having already lost the girl of his dreams. Sean (Sean Maguire) is holed up in a recording studio with his band Lost & Sound – an easy-listening acoustic group that make Coldplay sound like Skrillex – as they record an album of songs written and recorded specifically to be heard by one person and one person only, Sean’s ex-girlfriend Amy (Lorna Anderson). With every new song, we're treated to a different segment of the couple's life together, leading up to their wedding day, when a series of events ends with the couple breaking-up.

Then the film jumps forward 18 months and completely loses its direction, never managing to right itself again. The death of a family member – who we've never met, so it's difficult to feel anything about – results in Sean inheriting a giant castle hotel. And wouldn't you know it, this is the exact same hotel that Amy is going to be marrying her new pop-star boyfriend JJ (Kevin Ryan) in.

Coincidence after coincidence begin to pile up, and what was initially a sweet-natured, warm-hearted love story becomes insufferable and incoherent. It becomes abundantly clear that Sean and Amy almost certainly aren't meant for each other, and are actually two quite unlikable people. Sean is selfish and self-loathing, making his band work for free on an album with an expected audience of one. Amy falls in love with the pantomime bad-guy JJ, who is quite obviously a complete douchebag, but he's got money and fame, so he'll make do.

The gorgeous cinematography around Galway is note-worthy, as is some of the supporting acting in Sean's band – specifically laid-back best mate Rory (Barry Ward) and tough-as-nails but with a heart-of-gold Sled (Ford Kiernan) – and for the first half hour it really seems like this is going to be a new take on the romantic drama.

Instead it just meanders about for another hour, grasping at plot-strands, until you're left wanting for the central couple to just get over it and move on. Which is the opposite affect a film like this is supposed to have, really.