A Man of No Importance is a bittersweet drama with no substance.
Set in a conservative world of Catholic Dublin in 1963. Alfred Byrne (Albert Finney) is a middle aged bus conductor who charms his passengers with poetry. He irritates the ticket inspector by covering up for passengers who did not pay for a ticket.
Bryne has an attraction for the new handsome young bus driver Robbie Fay (Rufus Sewell.) A pretty young woman Adele (Tara Fitzgerald) inspires him to attempt to stage Oscar Wilde's Salome with his ad hoc amaetur dramatics company.
Byrne's sister Lily (Brenda Fricker) always tries to set him up with a woman, not knowing that her bookish brother is a closeted homosexual.
The dim local butcher (Michael Gambon) wants the salacious and blasphemous play not to open in the church hall. He later torments Byrne.
Albert Finney gives a sensitive performance of a man for whom love and even close companionship has been elusive. Director Suri Krishnamma sets a wonderful tone with the period setting.
However the script lacks sharpness and is so sketchy with the story and characters. It actually wastes its cast.
Set in a conservative world of Catholic Dublin in 1963. Alfred Byrne (Albert Finney) is a middle aged bus conductor who charms his passengers with poetry. He irritates the ticket inspector by covering up for passengers who did not pay for a ticket.
Bryne has an attraction for the new handsome young bus driver Robbie Fay (Rufus Sewell.) A pretty young woman Adele (Tara Fitzgerald) inspires him to attempt to stage Oscar Wilde's Salome with his ad hoc amaetur dramatics company.
Byrne's sister Lily (Brenda Fricker) always tries to set him up with a woman, not knowing that her bookish brother is a closeted homosexual.
The dim local butcher (Michael Gambon) wants the salacious and blasphemous play not to open in the church hall. He later torments Byrne.
Albert Finney gives a sensitive performance of a man for whom love and even close companionship has been elusive. Director Suri Krishnamma sets a wonderful tone with the period setting.
However the script lacks sharpness and is so sketchy with the story and characters. It actually wastes its cast.