After being rejected over and over again by producers and investors, a group of misfits decides to get together and make the movie on their own in Ian Adams’ comedy The Feature.
It’s funny that Ian Adams’ film should come to us at this time, coinciding as it does with an awards season that sees Martin McDonagh’s The Banshees Of Inisherin receiving lots of praise, tonnes of nominations, and winning quite a few awards. We’ve also heard recently that Martin Scorsese’s favourite TV show is the brilliant Derry Girls so with this type of publicity it would seem that, after 30 years, Irish comedy is having a bit of a renaissance. During their 90’s heyday, these types of films seemed to come out every year. My own personal favourite was 1991’s The Commitments directed by Alan Parker and based on a book by Roddy Doyle. The Commitments was a smash hit and was followed by more Roddy Doyle adaptations including sequels The Snapper in 1993 and The Van in 1996 both directed by Stephen Frears. All were successful but most importantly all were funny. Yet even these comedies didn’t provide a punchline quite as amusing as the distinctly Irish, Banshees Of Inisherin, winning Best British Film at the recent BAFTA awards.
It’s the Roddy Doyle adaptations that The Feature most closely resembles; Ian Adams’ film is a silly, rowdy, comic extravaganza about filmmakers who, after being rejected by every producer in Ireland, decide to make their own movie. The main character of the crew is the emotional yet resourceful writer and director Mossy, played as if he’s constantly on the verge of a nervous breakdown by Mark Agar. His best friend Rob, played by The Feature’s actual cinematographer Joseph Reid, convinces him to forget the rejection and just make the movie himself. Reid gives a genuinely heart-warming performance throughout. Rob’s suggestion is greeted with enthusiasm by Mossy, they love the movies, and there is nothing better to do so why not make their own film. They hold open auditions, source their own equipment, and set about to create their masterpiece, but the key to The Feature is that it is founded on charm.
Adam’s script introduces a large gallery of characters, throws them all into the pot, keeps them talking, and lets the relationships build. The result is a movie that doesn’t really lead anywhere and doesn’t have a profound message other than it’s really difficult to make a film, but it’s filled with life and energy, and the humour is honest as we recognise the banter between mates. The Feature is one of the few movies about a fictional group of people that can convince us that they are actually good friends who can work really well together.
Meanwhile, the behind-the-scenes tensions multiply with smoothness and subtlety with all the cast enjoying themselves as they curse, fire insults, and fight each other. Adams’ direction allows this part of the story to just sort of happen in the background but he does manage to capture and focus on the spontaneous nature of real life by letting a few stories unfold at the same time. Adams also takes a supporting role as a bodyguard/actor and gets some memorably funny moments. The cinematography by Joseph Reid doesn’t make any major advances but along with the tight editing and well-blocked shots, it does manage to keep realism at its heart.
Could there have been something more? Possibly, but although no one was expecting profound human drama, we are still left feeling that, after watching characters so well-developed and turned into believable people, it would have been great to have seen this taken much further. But as a fun, joyous, and sometimes hilarious human comedy, it works just fine.
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