I recently saw this at the 2007 Palm Springs International Film Festival for it's North American premiere. Director/writer John Boorman has had a very sporadic directorial career making only 15 feature length films between 1965 and 2006 including this, his latest offering. Boorman has rarely enjoyed the success that struck early in his career with such films as Point Blank, Hell in the Pacific and his biggest to date Deliverance. This time around Boorman has delivered a black comedy set in Ireland where Liam O'Leary (Brendan Gleesan) plays a wealthy real estate developer who's new found wealth has come through hard work and determination but is also costing him a loveless marriage to his wife Jane (Kim Catrell), an indifferent rebellious son Connor (real-life son Brian Gleeson), and he is overextended with his bank and battling with a rival developer and flirting with a nervous breakdown. Liam begins to think he is going mad when he starts seeing his double. Gleeson is very good in the double role of Liam and his double. Catrall drifts in and out of an Irish accent but it's not that pronounced of an accent to begin with to be bothersome to the viewer or detracting from the story. Brian Gleeson turns in a fine first screen debut. This is not a great film and not without it's flaws but it's got some great peripheral support players in the cast and good story with some witty moments. I liked it. It's got kind of a 1940's Hollywood B movie quality to it although set in modern times. I would give it a 7.5 out of 10 and it's worth a look.
Review of The Tiger's Tail
