New Zealander Kim (Luanne Gordon) goes by the name Courtney as a prostitute working a small town in the Republic of Ireland. She's been in the business for nine years. She reckons it's time to have her breasts enlarged and her vagina tightened: 'If anyone needs it, it's me. I've got a pussy like a magician's sleeve'.

After two men trash her flat, Kim decides to up sticks and move to Dublin. Her dream is to run her own escort agency. She asks Donal Duggan (Domhnall Gleeson) for a thousand-pound loan to tide her over, and he becomes interested in financing the agency. They meet when Donal - online code name SweetDick - asks her to come to his 80-acre farm and give him oral sex. It's a step up for Donal, who masturbates so frequently that if Ireland enters a self-abuse team for the Olympics, Donal will wipe the floor with the opposition - preferably with the baby-wipes Kim / Courtney uses to clean up after her clients.

Soon, with the help of Donal's supposed best friend - sponger, bitch, plonker, and part-time security guard Karl (Patrick Ryan) - they're in business. The apartment is rented from plump, smooth, business-like property-developer Liam Drummey (Owen Roe), who also wants to buy Donal's farm to develop the land for housing. Donal wants to sell. His father Jo dies on his stairlift at the start, and Donal raids his cash and clothes while the body's still warm - after a wank, and before drowning a couple of kittens in a bucket (really). The sheep make a lucky escape - Donal sells them to shrewd old cove Mossy (Lalor Roddy) who beats him down on price - 500 euros for the ram, not the 650 Donal wanted. Friendly local Garda (police officer) Ronan (Brendan McCormack) notes Donal's increasing luxury in cars, and puts in a good word from him when the story moves inexorably to the inevitable arrival of the boys in blue. Ingrid Craigie's Judge presides suitably, and rather sexily - a genre the hapless brothel-runners have omitted from their repertoire - over what follows, with Martin Lucey in a grave cameo as solicitor John, plus lots of other uncredited and impressive ladies and gents in wigs. But does Kim love Donal? Does Donal love Kim? Can there be a future for them? The final five seconds gives a touching suggestion.

Auteur Tom Hall directs his own script - a depressing, at times (very) boring, but intriguing and fairly non-clichéd story of rural life in the Irish countryside. It is intense, gloomy, pessimistic and slow. But there's a quirky clever charm about it which (just) keeps interest. A centre for this is Luanne Gordon's delivery of Kim. It's a well-written part, and clear enough of stereotype to give this fine actor material to work with. Luanne Gordon finds the soul of Kim, and lets it glimmer through the wary hardness in a touching and believable delivery. More of Kim's back-story could shift Kim more into the foreground; as it is she's the centre of gravity of the story without being the lead.

That is not to say that Domhnall Gleeson isn't intriguing as Donal; he is. It is more that Donal is such a creep, but not in an interesting way, that it's hard to stick with him. Until near the end, when Donal's strength of character emerges. Domhnall Gleeson does his best with a difficult characterisation. Donal is written as a largely one-dimensional chap, and not one to shake hands with without easy access to soap and water. Donal's evolution from orphaned loner with a maelstrom in his head ('Do you ever feel that you're going to burst?') to potential lover, from awkwardness to feeling, from self-deluding-would-be-businessman to also-ran reality is interesting to watch, but it's not hypnotic. The fact that it's endurable is due to Domhnall Gleeson's ability to enliven material that's not great.

Patrick Ryan is pure joy as slimy, horrible Karl. Karl is an opportunistic through-and-through rotter. Patrick Ryan oozes oily camaradie, laced with a subtly-nuanced humour; it's a high point of the film. Karl is given some intriguing lines. His encapsulation of Donal: 'You're like a rapist in your own head', catches Donal's frighteningly volcanic interior. His summary of Kelly Campbell's supermarket woman Melanie: 'I love check-out chicks. They're girls who have to talk to you' speaks of his deadening inner creepiness.

The Tipperary countryside comes out sparkling with Benito Strangio's cinematography; plus atmospherically-filmed interiors designed by Tamara Conboy. Casting by Louise Kiely is expert, with excellent supporting roles including: Shadaan Felfeli as computer ace Ahmed; John Kelly as a prim computer instructor ('Does anyone know what HTML stands for?'); Karen Scully as a bemused waitress taking the order for Courtney and Donal's first computer-booked encounter (Courtney: 'Can we meet in a public place first?'); Gemma Mae Halligan's assistant prostitute Orla; Andrea Irvine as Emily; Marie O'Neill (Marie); Madalina Alexe (Alicia).

Owen Roe gives developer Liam Drummey authority and interest - it's a role which could easily be written or played as a stereotype, but the writing and Owen Roe's delivery make the character readily credible. Kelly Campbell gives a fine performance as supermarket-check-out-woman Melanie, making the character stand out. Again, it's well-written, and Melanie's absorbing self-interest, particularly in her final scene, is convincing. Tracy Green as Monica, who uses the name Giselle, is strong as the company's first employed prostitute, giving Monica shyness, enthusiasm, embarrassment and fear in subtle proportions to create a rounded characterisation (and cue for another of Donal's visits to the lavatory).

Eleanor Methven is sublime as Donal's dead mother's sister, battleship aunt Rosemary. Throughout the story there are enough searing-to-the-soul lines to keep the plot ignited. Donal's 'Now you're upset because I go out with a real girl' (to Kim) is justified in the circumstances, but it still cuts to the centre of someone who might like a chance to love him. The flippant, hurtful 'She was the brains and you were the gobshite' from Donal's lawyers sets up the situation of his quiet - and brave - revolution.

Sensation takes what can feel like an undendingly-long time to tell the depressing story of two losers. But it's maybe worth it to set up what comes at the end. The last couple of lines are touching enough for tears (and perhaps to stand up and cheer) - and finally there's a spark of hope.

Cast Credits: IMDB: www.imdb.com/title/tt1451632/

Company Credits: IMDB: www.imdb.com/title/tt1451632/

END

John Park

reviewed Wednesday 29 September 2010 / Press screening / NFT2, National Film Theatre, London UK

Fringe Report (c) Fringe Report 2002-2012

www.fringereport.com