Calm with Horses (2019)

Directed by: Nick Rowland | 100 minutes | crime, drama | Actors: Cosmo Jarvis, Barry Keoghan, Liam Carney, David Wilmot, Brian Doherty, Ned Dennehy, Simone Kirby, Roisin O’Neill, Toni O’Rourke, Hazel Doupe, Rory Quinn, Ally Ni Chiarain, Niamh Algar, Kiljan Moroney, Anthony Welsh, Ryan McParland, Peter Newington, Barry Keane, Brid Brennan

You can cheat dogs by violently raising them. For example, it is claimed by dog ​​experts that pit bulls and Staffordshire terriers are actually very sweet animals, but can be ‘raised’ by some owners to become aggressive fighting dogs. That this also occurs in people, we see in the Irish drama ‘Calm with Horses’ (2019) by debut director Nick Rowland. Main character Douglas ‘Arm’ Armstrong (an unrecognizable Cosmo Jarvis, Sebastian from ‘Lady Macbeth’ (2016)) is one pound of muscle. He once boxed at a high level, but after a traumatic incident in which he killed his opponent, he said goodbye to the sport. The notorious criminal Devers family, who in no uncertain terms rule the remote and desolate Irish village where the story is set, then enlisted the bruised ‘Arm’ as a heavy boy, bodyguard and crowbar. With his bull neck, steel forehead and broad torso alone, he instills fear in the enemies of the Devers family. He not only looks like a beast, but is treated as such by his environment. In the Devers gangster family, blood ties are less important than loyalty. But in ‘Calm with Horses’ it is seriously put to the test.

Violence is the only thing Arm has known in his life. It is therefore not surprising that he is picked up by the Devers family. When we meet him, he and the young Dymphna Devers (Barry Keoghan, ‘Dunkirk’ (2017)) – whom he considers his best friend – are sent to a certain Fannigan (Liam Carney). The night before he seriously overstepped his mark with one of Dymphna’s nieces, and Arm’s task is to beat him to a pulp. Right in this scene, Rowland shows his talent by filming the fight in an artistic and daring way, using silhouettes and penetrating yellow light. We discover that Arm also has another side when he visits his ex-girlfriend Ursula (Niamh Algar) and their autistic son Jack (Kiljan Tyr Moroney). Much has happened between Arm and Ursula, but she still has a soft spot for him, though she carefully keeps a distance as she disapproves of his career choices. She tells Arm that she has found a special school for Jack to go to, but it is on the other side of the country. She needs money to get the boy there, and she hopes Arm can contribute as well. Arm wants to spend time with his son, but struggles with the fact that the boy has his limitations. He is also in the grip of the Devers family, who often call on him when he is just spending an hour with his son. And he cannot or dare not say no to Dymphna.

Then Dymphna’s uncle Hector (David Wilmot) makes it clear to them that beating up Fannigan wasn’t enough. He should be permanently silenced. Poor is the one who has to do that. Yes, he’s a jackass, but he’s not a murderer. Yes, he beat someone to death in the boxing ring, but that has been hanging around his neck like a millstone for years. So when the time comes, he’ll let Fannigan walk. He tells Dymphna and the others that he killed him. But the psychopathic uncle Paudi (Ned Dennehy) in particular doesn’t trust the business and Dymphna wants to remain loyal to his family at all costs…

‘Calm with Horses’ is a film about robust people in an equally robust landscape. Rowland chose the region around County Clare in the west of Ireland as a backdrop: an area that is magically green in good weather, but turns dreary gray and drab in the rain. Three guesses under what weather conditions the story takes place. The film is based on the short story of the same name by Colin Barrett, adapted into a screenplay by Joe Murtagh. The drama unfolds in a predictable way, but ‘Calm with Horses’ distinguishes itself with good acting and the occasionally surprising visual choices Rowland makes.

Jarvis has undergone a handsome outward transformation. Beneath his bony physique hides a broken man with a small heart and a major trauma. A man who really only learned to speak with his fists. The clumsiness in his dealings with his son, who can’t express himself well and breaks out into violent screams when he can’t handle the situation anymore, breaks your heart. This is a man who wants to, but simply cannot break free from the tangle of violence in which he finds himself. Physically there is a nice contrast to Dymphna, who looks less imposing but has a much more aggressive nature and has found in Arm the powerhouse who can help him earn the respect of his uncles. The character sketch of these two young men, and the dynamics of their mutual friendship, is fascinating. What is less apparent is the calming effect of the horses from the title. Young Jack goes horse riding weekly on a therapeutic basis; that Arm also finds his rest with the animals seems to have been dragged in and adds little.

Violence plays a central role in many films. We have also seen a man who wants to break free from a violent environment. ‘Calm with Horses’ does not bring anything new and follows the familiar paths, especially on the dramatic level. However, debuting director Nick Rowland impresses thanks to the excellent acting of Jarvis, Keoghan and Algar in particular and shows that he can be taken into account in the future.