The Bright Side (film)
| The Bright Side | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Ruth Meehan |
| Written by | Ruth Meehan Jean Pasley |
| Story by | Anne Gildea |
| Produced by | Tony Deegan |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | J.J. Rolfe |
| Edited by | Colin Campbell |
| Music by | Stephen Rennicks |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 100 mins. |
| Country | Ireland |
| Language | English |
The Bright Side is a 2020 Irish comedy film, directed by Ruth Meehan, who co-wrote with Jean Pasley, inspired by the Anne Gildea memoir I've Got Cancer, What's Your Excuse?. It stars Gemma-Leah Devereux, Siobhán Cullen, Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, Kevin McGahern, Ali Hardiman, and Tadhg Murphy. It premiered at the Cork International Film Festival in 2020, before being released throughout Ireland the following year.[1]
Synopsis
A stand-up comedian's life changes when she is diagnosed with breast cancer.
Cast
- Gemma-Leah Devereux as Kate McLaughlin
- Siobhán Cullen as Tracy Dunne
- Tom Vaughan-Lawlor as Andy Bourke
- Kevin McGahern as James McLaughlin
- Ali Hardiman as Liz McLaughlin
- Tadhg Murphy as Ray Miller
- Gearóid Farrelly as Tom Turner
- Derbhle Crotty as Helen Richards
- Frank Blake as Dr. Murray
- Philippa Dunne as Receptionist (A&E)
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 7 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.00/10.[2]
Hilary A. White of the Irish Independent says, "Only those with hearts of stone will be able to resist getting pulled along by The Bright Side's current."[3] Sarah McIntyre of RTÉ rated it 4/5 stars, while praising the directing/writing team of Ruth Meehan & Jean Pasley for "striking the balance between humour and pathos deftly".[4] Daryl MacDonald of InSession Film graded it an A and stated that "the characterizations make it all worthwhile".[5]
Allan Hunter of Screen Daily lauded the "understanding, jagged wit and warmth".[6] Emily Maskell of We Love Cinema rated it 3/5 stars and cited that "it's in the dialogue…where the script excels".[7] Rob Aldam of Backseat Mafia praised Gemma-Leah Devereux for her "brilliant central performance".[8]
Amber Wilkinson of Eye for Film concurred that Devereux "brought complexity" to the character Kate.[9] And Declan Burke of the Irish Examiner also commended the "achingly vulnerable" Tom Vaughan-Lawlor and "superb" Siobhán Cullen for their performances.[10]
But Ben O'Gorman of the Galway Advertiser felt that "the dialogue was a little too unreal".[11] And Rafa Sales-Ross of One Room with a View called it "earnest but unoriginal".[12]
References
- ↑ Casey, Carissa (26 August 2021). "The Bright Side". Woman's Way. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
- ↑ "The Bright Side (2020)". Rotten Tomatoes. 9 November 2020. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
- ↑ White, Hilary A. (27 August 2021). "Emotional tale of cancer sisterhood packs a punch". Irish Independent. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
- ↑ McIntyre, Sarah (20 August 2021). "The Bright Side - make the time to look for it". RTÉ. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
- ↑ MacDonald, Daryl (19 August 2021). "MOVIE REVIEW (EIFF): THE BRIGHT SIDE IS A LIFE-AFFIRMING TAKE ON DEATH". InSession Film. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
- ↑ Hunter, Allan (9 November 2020). "The Bright Side: Cork Review". Screen International. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
- ↑ Maskell, Emily (18 August 2021). "The Bright Side review – affecting cancer comedy gets the balance just right". We Love Cinema. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
- ↑ Maskell, Emily (19 August 2021). "EIFF Review: The Bright Side". Backseat Mafia. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
- ↑ Wilkinson, Amber (17 August 2021). "The Bright Side". Eye for Film. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
- ↑ Burke, Declan (20 August 2021). "Movie Reviews: Plenty black humour in Irish film, The Bright Side". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
- ↑ O'Gorman, Ben (25 August 2021). "Film Review: The Bright Side". Galway Advertiser. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
- ↑ Sales-Ross, Rafa (20 August 2021). "EIFF Review: The Bright Side". One Room with a View. Retrieved 26 July 2026.