Parked

Alongside the hysterical anti-drugs message which underpins this malnourished buddy drama, the only other lesson that first-time Irish director Darragh Byrne delivers in ‘Parked’ relates to the hazards of hoovering up too many twee US indie pics. The opening two minutes deliver enough decorative lens flare to fill 17 films by JJ Abrams, and it’s all backed by a routine, bittersweet, piano soundtrack. Brawny character actor Colm Meaney (pictured) shows his quirky, vulnerable side as ageing oddball Fred, a nomadic Jack-of-all-trades living out of his car. He pals up with wheeler-dealing young ’un, Cathal (Colin Morgan), a resident of the same car park whose drug use has attracted the anger of heavies. There’s also a woman, Jules (Milka Ahiroth), introduced via possibly the lamest meet-cute in the history of cinema. The drama chugs along in a cosy fashion, and Meaney and Morgan display an appealing chemistry. But Byrne’s directorial mantra is clear: why innovate when you can replicate?