Directed by Kathryn Ferguson and written by Stacey Gregg, a 1980s popstar receives a surprising invitation to perform, pulling him out of musical retirement and into a moral dilemma. Starring: Aidan Gillen, Sean Kearns, Jessica Reynolds, Seamus O’Hara and Michael Smiley.
Kathryn Ferguson and cinematographer Robbie Ryan (Poor Things, The Favourite) make an incredibly strong first impression with Nostalgie. Introducing viewers to this complex tale with a beautifully captured skyline, with a compelling purple hue and starting things off on a contemplative note, and cleverly comes full circle in the film’s ending. Then added to the score by Bastille’s Dan Smith which so perfectly encapsulates the feel of the 1980s, it immediately evokes the feel of nostalgia and lost youth.
As Nostalgie moves forward, Ferguson adds a note of tension and suspicion, you can feel that there’s more to this story, holding an air of being politically driven and leaving you waiting for the other shoe to drop. When it eventually does, it’s extremely well done, particularly because Stacey Gregg’s attention to detail adds in a great number of layers preceding that moment. One that stands out being the choice of literature, having Aidan Gillen’s Drew reading Milkman by Anna Burns on the ferry over to Belfast was a clever piece of foreshadowing.
After that moment, there’s a nicely charged atmosphere which opens up all sorts of ethical and moral conundrums. Something that’s especially well captured by the interesting choice of ending that holds so many implications without having to say a word. Of course, that complex level of emotion is also well captured by the performance from Aidan Gillen. His character is easily believable, a one-hit-wonder drawn in by the opportunity to relive the glory days, his desire for attention and fame blinding him to the details. It’s a surprisingly understated performance, Gillen lets the cracks appear slowly, in a compelling manner.
There’s also a great supporting cast behind him, starting with the ever reliable Michael Smiley. If you’re going to list actors who excel at being able to change the tone of their performance in the blink of an eye, Smiley should go pretty far up that list. The way he can go from cordial to menacing with barely a change in his expression is always satisfying to watch. Seamus O’Hara, star of Oscar-winning short film An Irish Goodbye, may be mostly in the background here but he has a big presence and makes himself known. He does especially well to add a lot of those complicated layers with simply his body language.
Nostalgie is a cleverly crafted exploration of Northern Ireland’s history, through a modern lens. Capturing how the events of the past linger so strongly, and it’s great to see the younger generations making an effort to continue to explore its complicated history of violence and conflict, led compellingly by Aidan Gillen. Kathryn Ferguson’s directorial style is confident and has a strong depth, the cinematography is excellent which is no surprise from two-time Oscar-nominee Robbie Ryan. Stacey Gregg’s adaptation of Wendy Erskine’s short story is thoughtful and tense, and Dan Smith’s score and songs are perfectly matched to all the other elements of the short.
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