Turning Green(2009)

Hollywood Movie

Cast

Timothy Hutton

Alessandro Nivola

Colm Meaney

Director
Michael Aimette
John G. Hofmann
Overview:
The world of small, slight coming-of-age movies is an overcrowded one, and Turning Green is just another unassuming addition to the bunch. It has a glimmer of style and eccentricity; but it also suffers from a strangely lazy narrative and a bizarre waste of notable actors.

In a small Irish town, two American-born brothers live with their needling aunts, to whom they've been sent following the death of the boys' mother. It's 1979, six years into their displacement, and teenager James (newcomer Donal Gallery) longs to return to the States. Instead, he's stuck working for a local bookie, getting drunk at an empty pub, and trying desperately to grab some private moments in the bathroom with his favorite, eh, organ.

After a quick doctor's visit to London -- the aunties think James's time on the toilet is due to constipation -- the hopeful lad inadvertently discovers a way out of his picturesque prison. It seems that sex magazines, illegal in Ireland, are abundant in England. Bam! A potentially lucrative market.

If you've happened to stumble upon this review because you saw Timothy Hutton as the top-billed actor, forget it. As the bookie's heavy, the amateurishly named Bill the Breaker, Hutton has remarkably little dialogue (all mumbled) in just a few scenes. He's grossly underused, the quintessential one-dimensional character, with other thin portrayals lined right up next to it. As Bill's boss, Alessandro Nivola has a little more meat to chew on, but not by much.

As a result, the film rests on young Donal Gallery’s smallish shoulders. And his effort is especially impressive for an inexperienced actor. When writer-directors Michael Aimette and John G. Hofmann aim their screenplay (a Project Greenlight finalist) toward the obvious, Gallery's even-tempered presence saves the day and keeps hold of our sympathies.

Meanwhile, the filmmakers’ laid-back sensibility makes sense against the slow seaside backdrop, but it also undermines the chance for a sharper rhythm. But that gentle approach also keeps some occasionally overdone moments (like a lame subtitling joke) from sliding into overkill.

There's a notable irony about Turning Green: its distribution mirrors its story. Turning Green was made back in 2005, but has taken four years to get to the States. Like James's overdue journey home, the effort may only be partially worth the trip

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