Darragh Byrne's 'Parked'

Parked. Our Merlin’s unsung hero. This film truly is a triumph to the rapidly blooming Colin Morgan, and can only be described as being one of the most stunning pictures to be released in 2011. Colm Meany portrays the loveable Fred, a man of pride and substance thrown against Morgan’s character Cathal, both of whom seemed destined to meet at the very end of normality, when life has left them nowhere to go but Dublin Car Park, stuck living in cars they can’t drive.

When we first meet Fred, he’s struggling to cope, withered and worn in his sunken world of tarmac and tea, and desperate to regain control of his life, literally living without hope. And when we first meet Cathal, it’s so easy to see the similarities, if only through the smoky haze that surrounds him. There are so many issues explored and portrayed in this film, from the homeless, to the drugged and beaten and the countless broken hearts they find along the way. Milka Ahlroth plays a curious onlooker to their journey, being kept in the dark about her companions' housing for the general length of the film, yet still managing to see past this to begin a grudging and tentative romance with the awkward Fred, much to the delight of his seemingly adopted friend Cathal. The relationship between the two men is incredibly complex, as, considering the age gap between the two; it seems to range from a father/son dynamic to a roughly constructed friendship that the both of them clearly desired.

The poignancy of this film is spot on, and is incredibly moving in its depth, the contrast of Cathal’s rough, cheeky exterior shining through against Fred’s calm and peaceful stature is so overly endearing it’s near impossible not to get attached to these characters. It’s such an unusual film, and considering how little they were given to work with as a theme, the writers really have done a spectacular job creating something out of nothing. A typical, yet untypical story of a homeless man finding hope, yet losing almost everything along the way.

The acting must be applauded as well, Colin Morgan in particular, having to play what would be considered a difficult role for any actor and pulling it off expertly, managing his characters age with the struggles of his life, whilst Meany is simply a character designed for a hug, making the audience warm up to him almost instantly and want to wrap him up in a blanket.

Depending on what you were expecting, the ending to this film could be a disappointment to the viewer, but personally I felt it was built up well, steering as far away from a typical happy ending as possible, but fitting the story nicely. It’s a cripplingly gritty film, with so many intensely addictive characters, it’s definitely one to see.