TREACLE JNR

Director:  Jamie Thraves

Year of Release:  2010

This is the second of the three films Aidan has (so far) Jamie Thraves, the first being The Low Down, as with that film, Aidan once again won an award for this role, this time, it was Best Actor at the 2011 Milano International Film Festival.

This is such a great film, easily in my top five favourite Aidan performances, in a nice little detail his character is actually called Aidan Murphy (which is, for those who don’t know, Aidan’s real name), a role he based on a character who he came into contact with when he was living in Dublin in his youth.  A gift of a role that Aidan seizes and brings to life with humanity and humour, what could be an annoying character, in Aidan’s hands is a happy, larger than life, optimist, who never lets his fairly grim life get him down.

The film initially focuses on Tom, a family man who suffers some sort of breakdown and leaving his job, wife and young child behind, gets on a train from Birmingham to London, where he cuts up all his credit cards and sleeps on the street. After a minor accident, Tom arrives in A&E where he meets Aidan, who is the sort of loud eccentric everyone avoids eye contact with, something Tom doesn’t manage, and once he engages with Aidan, he cannot shake him.

As Tom is drawn into Aidan’s life, a friendship develops (propelled, at one point by an extremely cute kitten, after which the film is named), and through Aidan Tom manages to piece himself back together again.  Although there is sadness to the film this is never dwelt upon, but is mixed with humour, the overall themes being of love, friendship, and hope.

This is a film which, in the wrong hands could be cloying and sentimental, but it never strays into that territory, largely I think due to this being a low budget film, shot largely on the streets of London with a small cast who clearly have a love for, and an understanding of, their characters.  There is little in the way of action and the drama is low key, with the actors being allowed to really bring their characters to the fore. 

When people question Aidan’s acting abilities (I know, but people do!) I always point them to this film, for those who know him largely through Game of Thrones it is a surprise to see him take on this type of role.  But this is the sort of situation in which he thrives, an ensemble piece working with people he has collaborated with in the past, and of course directed by his friend Jamie. Playing a character drawn from his own life experiences, I guess there is little more an actor could ask for, certainly one with Aidan’s sensibilities anyway.

There is nothing more I can say except, watch this film, lose yourself in the story, marvel at Aidan’s acting abilities and remind yourself why you love this man so much.