Savage

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Interview: 'Savage' director Brendan Muldowney

A ponderous, metaphor-heavy look at a lonely figure dealing with the aftermath of a horrific attack, Savage is atmospheric, violent and beautifully filmed; it also proves you don't need a hefty budget to deliver an overtly cinematic production. Many Irish films have come and gone from multiplexes, having never warranted a theatrical release in the first place, but this timely effort will surely resonate with audiences.

Darren Healy is paparazzi snapper, Paul Graynor, a man with few friends who seems to occupy a cautious existence. Living in Dublin city centre, the only interaction he appears to have with anyone other than work acquaintances is with his elderly, dying father, and the warm nurse who takes care of him (Nora-Jane Noone). After a subtle flirtation, the two go on a successful date and hit it off. But on the way home Paul is brutally attacked, seemingly at random, by two sadistic muggers who leave him with numerous mental and physical scars. Finding it difficult to come to terms with what has happened, he becomes increasingly angry and hungry for any kind of revenge.

Uncomfortable to watch, with an uneasy tone prominent throughout; even before the attack happens you feel something here is a little off, not quite right. Writer/director Muldowney does a sterling job of establishing the foreboding, and his camera finds the dingiest parts of Dublin, and offers a realistic portrayal of the undesirables who frequent these areas. But the real reason why Savage works is that the vast majority of people in any city will be able to relate to Paul, in some form or another. Intimidation from amassed gangs of teenagers with poorly grown facial hair, and an attitude to compensate for it is part of a daily existence for many.

Where it falters slightly, is in its depiction of the peripheral players, and a hyperbolic take on the effects of steroids. It's almost Patrick Bateman-esque the situations that occur after Paul pops a pill - but that may have been a purposeful move on Muldowney's part, and this reviewer could just be missing something. While the relationship between Paul and Noone's caring nurse jumps ahead with too little development, it doesn't affect the performances, and Healy is especially strong in the lead role; his transformation from sensitive arty type, to unhinged angry bastard is admirable.

While there are certainly holes along the way, there can be no qualms about the execution. Muldowney has directed a visually striking film of social relevance on a budget that wouldn't cover craft services for a week on a Hollywood counterpart. That alone deserves massive credit.