Middletown is a 2006 Irish-British drama film, written by Daragh Carville and directed by Brian Kirk. It stars Matthew Macfadyen, Daniel Mays, Eva Birthistle, Gerard McSorley, Richard Dormer, David Wilmot, Sorcha Cusack, Mick Lally, Charlene McKenna, Bronagh Gallagher, Marie Jones, and Lalor Roddy. It premiered at the Tribeca Festival in 2006, before being released in Ireland later that year and the UK the following year of 2007.
Synopsis An overzealous priest returns to his home town and ends up battling against his brother for the heart of the locals.
Cast
Reception Michael Doherty of Mad About Movies proclaimed the film to be "one of the finest films to emerge from Ireland" in quite some time. Mike Goodridge of Screen Daily labelled it "a melodramatic brew" and praised Daniel Mays for his "compelling performance".
Harry Guerin of RTÉ lauded Matthew Macfadyen for his "chilling performance", but opined that the film "didn't live up to its full potential". Jane Ruffino of Estudios Irlandeses chided the film, stating "Brian Kirk's attempt to satirise the bleakness of 1960s Ireland is just yet another foggy, formless Irish film", although she did commend him for being "a talented director".
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