That They May Face the Rising Sun (2024)

Ireland, United Kingdom

Drama

Break Out Pictures, South Wind Blows, Cyprus Avenue Films, Harvest Films

Barry Ward, Anna Bederke, Lalor Roddy, Sean McGinley, Ruth McCabe, Phillip Dolan

Pat Collins

Éamon Little, Pat Collins

NA

based on novel or book

Joe and Kate Ruttledge have returned from London to live and work among the small, close-knit community near to where Joe grew up. Now deeply embedded in life around the lake, the drama of a year in their lives and those of the memorable characters around them unfolds through the rituals of work, play and the passing seasons as this enclosed world becomes an everywhere.

Reviews:

Author: Geronimo1967
There's something very potent about the Celtic habit of understating things. A few choice words, a bit of sarcasm or invocation of nature or, occasionally, religion coupled with some perfectly judged facial expressions or shrugs! It can be used to really good comic effect and to illustrate entertainingly just how folks live their lives and deal with death. "Joe" (Barry Ward) and wife "Kate" (Anna Bederke) live in their rural home where he is trying to put together his latest book and she juggles her time between running a gallery in London and living the dream amidst a remarkably dry Ireland. The film essentially plonks us in their home for a few days as we watch a variety of local souls pop in for tea, whiskey and chat. What's quite striking about this community is the lack of the young. Everyone here is nearer the end than the beginning, and with the vacillating character of "Patrick" (Lalor Roddy), the returning from Britain "Johnny" (Sean McKinley), his brother "Jamesie" (Phillip Dolan) and the curmudgeon that is "Bill" (Brendan Conroy) making up the characterful sextuplet of regulars we are presented with a glimpse at a perfectly plausible day in the life sort of thing... The "Patrick" character is probably the most interesting, flawed and decent, angry yet caring; but the others all fit into this sympathetically filmed jigsaw puzzle of what goes around comes around nicely. Don't expect lots to actually happen, but do expect to smile quite a bit and think a little, too.