Reviews

I have just dug out my old VHS tape and revisited this movie again. I am a huge fan of the "character based drama" genre and this offbeat tale remains one of my all time fav's! "Reefer and the Model" is set in 1981 on Ireland's picturesque West coast, against the backdrop of "The Troubles" and in particular the hunger strikes that were going on in Northern Ireland at the time... Reefer (a wonderfully restrained performance from the talented and vastly underrated Ian McElhinney) is attracted to "The Model" (The equally impressive Carol Scanlan) and the two immediately strike up a quirky relationship. Reefer runs a trawler with his two friends Badger (Ray McBride) and Spider (Sean Lawlor) however, clearly all is not what it seems. All four protagonists are petty criminals with connections to the IRA, all are out of their depth and time is quickly running out... Yes, the story is quite abstract and there are some confusing plot lines and developments in the film, but to me the slick direction of Joe Comerford, convincing performances from a great cast and the offbeat nature of the story as it moves through to its tragic conclusion makes "Reefer and the Model" well worth the effort. If you want something with recognizable movie stars and a more clear-cut story then fine, go with "Patriot Games" or "The Devils Own" if you want something a wee bit more challenging, then give "Reefer" a go, provided of course you can find it! Such a shame that it has never been released on DVD...