2007, Ireland/UK
Drama
Whether it is in the next town over or across the pond, sometimes you just can't go home again.
In director Tom Collins' Kings, based on Jimmy Murphy's play The Kings of the Kilburn High Road, six friends emigrate from Ireland to London to make their fortunes and return home. Thirty years later, they are still in London and not entirely the wealthier for it.
Upon the curious death of one of the friends, Jackie, the men are reunited from their various lots. Joe (Colm Meaney) has found success in his career, but is stuck between the worlds of material comfort and a lack of comfort with his home country. Shay (Donncha Crowley) owns a vegetable stand and is successful at a more modest level, but also has a family. Máirtín (Barry Barnes) has also gained a family, but cannot fully reconcile with his disconnect from home. Jap (Donal O'Kelly) and Git (Brendan Conroy, who played Shay on stage) have stuck together to create their own family, but their career seems to be sucking the last drops from alleyway bottles.
The men are not only united by their history but their language. In fact, this is the first Irish film to be submitted as an Oscar entry in the Foreign Language Film category for its use of the Irish Gaelic language. Though the cast is Irish, their language skills were of varying proficiencies and accents, and a dialect coach was required to ensure a convincing Connemara dialect.
Gaelic is an odd language to the untrained ear. Nothing like the Irish accent that affects the English language, it almost sounds like a stilted Scandinavian language, which seems reasonable considering its geography. Despite being away from their hometown and living in an English city, the men insist on only speaking Gaelic when they are together. It is telling when Joe, the most distant and aloof of the bunch, has to be forced to speak the language with them.
Jackie becomes the conscience of each of the men. As characters are introduced, Jackie appears in silent visage and pulls a different reaction from each man. Haunted by guilt or a lack of acceptance, the others realize he is the only one returning to Ireland. Unfortunately, he is doing so in a coffin.
The stage origin of the story is evident, as focus falls on an intimate cast and a tight setting. This method is useful when emphasizing the outsider status of the emigrants. While celebrating their friend’s wake, the men are relegated to the back room of the bar, to hide their Gaelic revelry from the other patrons. Their language continues to ensure their status as secondary citizens.
The film is dark and brooding but relays an important message about a sense of cultural distinctiveness. Through the use of its native language, Kings finds identity.