This Is the Sea

Northern Ireland during the IRA ceasefire of 1995: a Romeo and Juliet story of two youngsters (McDade and Morton) trying to make a go of it despite distrust and enmity between Catholics and Plymouth Brethren. The film's heart is in the right place, but dramatically it alternates between clumsy, contrived and predictable, while the performances are generally disappointing, given the impressive cast. Waterboys fans might enjoy the soundtrack, but this, like Resurrection Man, offers further evidence that there's only so much cinematic mileage in returning to the Troubles for inspiration.