NOMINEE: Best Direction (Antonia Campbell-Hughes); Best Actor (Cosmo Jarvis); Irish Film Awards 2023.
Here is a film worth seeing for its depiction of Northern Ireland's Donegal . Every scene is carefully shot, mainly in a still, wide shot. The framing and the pallet of IT'S IN US ALL is spectacular. The story of a young man returning to the home of his mother and aunt, experiencing a near death experience (car accident), meeting the locals who have mixed emotions about his being there, and seemingly never really coming to terms with anything particularly, confused me. It disappointed me that I couldn't connect here!
This is to take nothing away from Antonia Campbell-Hughes's debut feature, a feature which suffered many production trials through COVID before finally being made. The film is a deeply dark depiction of manhood and the stark realities of what it takes to face mortality, pain, morality and coming to terms with the past.
Cosmo Jarvis as the lead, Hamish, is a mesmerising character, prone to a little over-acting often shouting while making a point, mainly to Rhys Mannion's, Evan. Given this, Jarvis is compelling in the 7 minute DIY, mend your own broken arm sequence, which includes: wrenching an exposed broken arm bone back into place, (ref the poster), sprinkling it with disinfectant and using super glue to hold the wound together and finally, utilising gaffer tape and broken chair struts as a splint. We feel the pain, let me tell you!
Sometimes one's mood needs to match a film's purpose. This is Campbell-Hughes' first feature, and I have no doubt she knows her craft and she is comfortable with place; Donegal is her pallet and she paints it beautifully. She is a director I'll follow, I just couldn't connect with this. 7GUMS.
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