Review of Da (1988) by Kenneth L — 25 Apr 2015

I had the good fortune to see this film at a screening at which Martin Sheen himself was present, along with the film's director Matt Clark. It was quite fascinating to hear the two of them reminisce so many years later on the making of this little gem of a movie, which has never yet found its way to DVD or digital services (but apparently will soon).

It's a fairly modest yet touching little drama about a playwright (Sheen) who returns to his native Ireland after many years away to bury his recently deceased father, the titular "Da" (Barnard Hughes).

Most of the film is taken up by either the main character's imagined conversations with his dead father, or flashbacks to their earlier lives together. The movie doesn't make any grand statements or big stylistic gestures, but it very convincingly portrays the complicated relationship between a father and a son with great sympathy for both.

Barnard Hughes is absolutely terrific as "Da," even if his Irish accent can be a bit too thick for my understanding sometimes. It's a sweet, straightforward, honest movie that carefully avoids excess sentimentality but is affecting nonetheless.

I recommend looking for it once it becomes available.