Inside I’m Dancing [Rory O’Shea Was Here] **** (2004, James McAvoy, Steven Robertson, Romola Garai, Brenda Fricker) – Classic Movie Review 4357

Director Damien O’Donnell’s funny, life-affirming and heart breaking 2004 movie tale of friendship between two disabled young men is the best Brit film in ages.

Rebel Rory O’Shea (James McAvoy) arrives at a drab Dublin residential home for the disabled, run by a strict Nurse Rached-style matron (Brenda Fricker). Only able to move two fingers, Rory is somehow still able to befriend cerebral palsy sufferer Michael Connolly (Steven Robertson). Rory manages to understand Michael, despite his near unintelligible speech.

Rory wants the two of them to experience life outside the confines of the Carrigmore Residential Home for the Disabled and soon they manage to get permission to set up home on their own together. Then both men fall for sweet young Siobhan (Romola Garai) after they hire her to look after them.

With admirably poignant writing and brilliant acting, this is a clever and memorable tearjerker that cries out for a huge box of tissues for its devastating climax.

Jeffrey Caine writes the screenplay from the story by Christian O’Reilly.

© Derek Winnert 2016 Classic Movie Review 4357

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