User reviews

First the positives - the acting is fantastic. Wonderful ensemble work, very talented bunch who are a joy to watch work together. Peter Mullan is outstanding. The problem with this story is that it isn't sure what story it wants to tell. Without ruining it, it wanders quiet a bit. There is also some sloppy editing which confuses. There are subplots introduced which just vanish at strange moments in the script. The beginning is full of promise, but it very quickly becomes several films you've seen many times before: forced sentimentality, clichéd and predictable. Not a bad movie, some beautiful shots, but I fail to see what all the fuss was about at Sundance.

An Irish couple have secrets after years of marriage. She is aspiring to pass a test to drive a bus and he wants to swim the English Channel.

It takes nearly the entire movie to explain that the family had a swimming tragedy years before.

Brenda Blethyn, so wonderful in "Secrets and Lies," and "Little Voice" is the mother here. Sorry, Miss Blethyn this is not the former film here.

The father has an assortment of friends who are basically insecure. Of course, his successful conquest of the channel will change all that.

They also have a married son who is unemployed with twin boys.

With thick Irish accents, it is often difficult to understand what the characters are trying to say. As an example, Miss Blethyn states and I say it phonetically- "I joost faeled mi buz tezt."

Jump for joy when the major swim and the film are over and the credits begin to roll.