Cal

The Irish Arts Center presents Irish Literature on Film, an opportunity to see some of Ireland’s best loved novels and plays in their cinematic format.

Cal is a compelling romantic drama which, noted the Daily Mail, has “moments of great tenderness and unexpected wit.” It gains considerably in its dramatic impact from the superbly realized background of the bitter sectarian violence in Northern Ireland. Cal (John Lynch) is a 19 year old unemployed Catholic who is reluctantly drawn into the dangerous and violent world of violent Republicanism becoming an accomplice in the murder of a Protestant policeman. When he gets a job on the lonely farm where the dead man’s widow (Helen Mirren) lives with her in-laws, Cal finds himself drawn to her. It is the start of a passionate affair between the guilt-ridden youth and the unhappy woman, a moving romance that ultimately ends in tragedy. The acting in the two central roles is flawless. Helen Mirren won the award as Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival and John Lynch’s sensitive portrayal won him high critical praise. Bernard MacLaverty’s screenplay won an Evening Standard Award. Directed by Pat O’Connor. (102 mins.)