One Hundred Mornings (2009)

Directed by: Conor Horgan | 85 minutes | drama | Actors: Ciarán McMenamin, Alex Reid, Rory Keenan, Kelly Campbell, Paul Ronan, Robert O’Mahoney

The end of time remains a rewarding subject for countless films. Rightly so. It provides a lot of material for a successful story, because what would you do if the world ceased to exist? If you have nothing left to lose, why adhere to moral codes? When the end is near, you can do whatever you want without suffering the consequences. After all, who else makes you what?

‘One Hundred Mornings’ is set in rural Ireland. The earth is facing a disaster. Big cities have become war zones and humanity is at a loss and is falling into animalistic behavior. In a rustic cottage on a lake, two couples try to make the best of it. The group keeps aloof from the townspeople and tries to survive. That’s not easy. The walls are closing in on them and lack of contact with the outside world puts them in isolation. When frictions arise, relationships deteriorate. With all its consequences…

It soon becomes clear that ‘One Hundred Mornings’ had a particularly meager budget. Not in an annoying way though. The film is set in the same environment, special effects are absent and you will not see famous faces in this film. That does not detract from the fact that this low-budget film is very well put together. The cast is on a roll, creating compelling (and empathetic) characters. Director Conor Horgan knows how to achieve maximum results with limited resources. He makes use of the beautiful Irish landscape and his camera angles are also used inventively. The film looks neat.

The questions ‘One Hundred Mornings’ raises are provocative. What would you do if you can no longer trust your loved one and there is no more food? This film is about normal people in abnormal circumstances. Horgan opts for realism instead of spectacle and that results in an oppressive and intimate film