The Miracle

In the small, nun-swept Irish seaside town of Bray, teenage would-be writers Rose (Pilkington) and Jimmy (Byrne) - the latter enjoying a strangely fraternal relationship with his saxophonist Dad (McCann), an alcoholic since his wife died before Jimmy could get to know her - spend their time speculating about the lives of the townsfolk. But only when glamorous American actress Renee (D'Angelo) turns up, do they really enter a world of romance and mystery, with Jimmy determining to seduce the older woman. But why is she holding back, and what is her interest in Jimmy's dad? Back on home ground after his spectacularly poor stabs at the American market, Jordan throws together, with some success, quite a few themes in this small-scale drama: the importance of memory, the problematically varied nature of love, issues of faith, and the relationship between reality, desire and literature. Although the film is overly literary in its use of symbolism and analogy, the performances are direct and affecting (D'Angelo, Byrne and Pilkington especially), and Jordan's affection for both characters and milieu is conspicuous throughout.