The Other Side of Sleep (2011)

Directed by: Rebecca Daly | 88 minutes | drama | Actors: Antonia Campbell-Hughes, Sam Keeley, Olwen Fouere, Cathy Belton, Aaron Monaghan, Gina Moxley, Louise Weir, Vicky Joyce, Zsuzsa Varga, Arlene Kelly

What do you do when you wake up in a forest next to the body of a murdered woman? That unusual question is faced by factory worker Arlene, the main character of the drama ‘The Other Side of Sleep’. In this feature-length debut by the Irish Rebecca Daly, the how or what of the murder plays less of a role than the processing of the murder drama in the village community. And even more important is the question of whether sleepwalker Arlene still sees it all clearly.

It’s a good thing that ‘The Other Side of Sleep’ mainly focuses on the mental state of the main character, because as a murder story this film suffers from a lousy screenplay. The fact that Arlene doesn’t call the police is hardly a consideration, but what strange role does the victim’s sister play? Why doesn’t Arlene dare to get into her boss’s car, when just before that he had every opportunity to graze her in the abandoned factory? Why would someone throw a party to celebrate something that won’t be revealed until later in the day? It goes without saying that the more surreal scenes lack logic, but the murder plot leaves too much unanswered.

Unfortunately, the film has more problems than a weak screenplay. ‘The Other Side of Sleep’ tries too hard to be arthouse-fähig. So we see vague glances, actions are performed three gears lower than in normal life and moments of solemn silence follow the simplest dialogues. It all feels forced and it doesn’t seem to serve any higher purpose.

Despite all those flaws, a visit to ‘The Other Side of Sleep’ is worth considering. The dosed disclosure of directions ensures that you as a viewer always stay focused. The film is also pleasantly dark and atmospheric, and the mental decline of Arlene continues to fascinate. The acting is perfectly fine and there is a lot to experience visually, such as the very first images of the factory in which Arlene works. Never mind that this is a film that would benefit from a little less plot or a better developed story. ‘The Other Side of Sleep’ is now too much the work of a talented director looking for a decent script.