Cast:Rooney Mara, Vanessa Redgrave, Jack Reynor, Theo James, Eric Bana

I love Jim Sheridan’s films.  He’s the master of Irish cinema.  And when I heard that Vanessa Redgrave would be coming, I needed to see this gala to see these two cinema Titans in the flesh.

I thought this was a beautiful film and that it brought out the best in Rooney Mara. I’m so used to her playing a moody sullen empty characters, it was refreshing to see her play an empathetic person I could relate to.

Some will criticize the film for unrealistic plot points, but I think they failed to clue in that these were an old woman’s memories that might have been prone to exaggeration.  I had no trouble getting caught up in the plight of this lovely character and her saga.  The performances were great. Eric Bana was very well cast in this film. The story was heartbreaking and the ending brought me to a puddle of tears.  I wish I read the book. My mother read it and loved the film.

I hope Rooney Mara is recognized for her performance in this and that it leads to more vibrant roles for her in the future.

Here is part of the introduction, where Rooney, Vanessa and TIFF’s own Michelle go barefoot.