source: Joyride

My Review- Joyride My Rating 9/10 Another impressive Irish film with yet another impressive and talented new actor 14 year old Charlie Reid from County Kildare . I recently reviewed another recent movie An Irish Goodbye also mentioning it's teenage star Catherine Clinch another 14 year old as a future actor to watch out for . I can say the same for Charlie Reid who plays Mully a bright young teenager who's father James played by Lochlann O'Mearáin is leading him down the wrong path. Young Mully's mother has recently died of cancer so he's at a very vulnerable point in his life where he could follow in his father's footsteps or go the right way." At a pub benefit to raise money for cancer in memory of his mother Mully can see his father wants to steal the money that's meant for charity so he steals it himself rather than let his Dad waste it . He then steals a taxi rather with his father in pursuit and when he gets far enough away much to his surprise which is not a pleasant one finds that he has unwittingly kidnapped a drunken woman ,inappropriately named Joy plus her newborn baby . Joy a Solicitor didn't want a baby ,didn't think she was still of childbearing age and doesn't even know who the father is ? The unnamed baby could have even been conceived on a drunken spree ,she wouldn't know . Olivia Coleman plays Joy and delivers yet another superb performance her character roles just get better and better and she for me is right up there on my top ten list of contemporary Actresses in movies and television today . I've watched her play Royalty, a serial killer, a mentally disturbed woman ,a socialite, a daughter caring for an ailing father, a wicked Godmother, Madam Thénardier in Les Miz a Detective and the list goes on , what next? Her character is this film Joy is a solicitor who we first see in a drunken stupor asleep in the back of the stolen taxi with her unnamed baby which she is hoping to offload to her sister who lives miles away in Lanzarote , as she hasn't bonded with the baby at all . This is where this joyful at times very humorous and very touching road trip begins with the 2 runaways Mully and Joy who at first seem such an unlikely pair but soon realise they have much in common as they negotiate the terms of their journey. Young Mully has more maternal instinct in his little finger than Joy has in her whole body . Joy just want to move forward as she keeps telling Mully . In a touching scene full of Irish charm Mully asks if the baby has a name ? Joy doesn't reply then spies a robin which just happened to be a symbol for Mully's deceased mother. Without knowing this Joy replies that the baby's name is Robin and we begin to see a thawing out of her character but not before arguments and insults on both sides . The chemistry between Olivia Coleman and young Charlie Reid is obvious from the beginning they must have really enjoyed working together. Skilfully directed by Emer Reynolds from a screenplay by Ailbhe Keogan who also wrote the terrific television 2022 series Bad Sisters have created a very interesting and entertaining movie. There were a few puzzling plot lines for me but I put that down to Irish blarney no fact checker required because this refreshingly is not based on any true events . Beautifully Filmed in locations that include Tralee Kerry Airport and the beach at Ardfert in County Kerry Ireland Joyride for me was a joy to be sure to be sure to be sure ......

I watched this on my flight home from England, and I cried so many times just from being so emotionally invested. It was charming, raw, and endearing. It was a real testimony to how humans of any age need someone they can lean on and trust. That someone just supporting you can get you through. I found this to be a beautiful, heartfelt film. Olivia was AMAZING as always, and I wept watching her struggle to let her guard down and to let herself welcome love. I don't understand the low reviews, unless you just do not understand what the story was trying to portray. There was a wholesome juxtaposition of a young boy forced to care for himself and be tough, while deep down missing his loving mother..and a woman forced into motherhood, unsure that she has what it takes to give her baby the love and care she needs. I found it beautiful in how simple it was.

Dramatic, minimalistic, colorful. Slow moving with up and coming direction with Olivia Coleman's phenomenal acting. Also Charles Reid might be the best child actor I've ever seen. Very real life situations where some actually behave erratic under duress or indecisiveness. The shortcomings were covered, though not fully by superb acting of nearly all of the small cast which was sufficient for this production. Weaknesses were the plot(s) and clueless objectives. Also Olivia was a bit stereotyped for the role after her performance in The Lost Daughter. Cinematography could have been better especially given the countryside backdrop.

It doesn't often happen that a young actor outshines a veteran Hollywood laureate as easily as Charlie Reid does in Joyride. Playing a jolly and good-hearted, albeit almost Mary Stu-ish character, he gives an amazing performance and makes an enjoyable sparring duo with Olivia Colman. The two's relationship and acting are undoubtedly the highlights of the movie, which, while starting promising and strong, teeters off through its sluggish final act into a somewhat forced feel-good all-is-well ending. Despite its flaws, it was overall a decent and enjoyable movie and I do not regret watching it. 6.5 from me.

This movie could have really went somewhere because Charlie Reid was just so interesting. But the movie took a boring and uneventful turn and went downhill from there. Also if you cannot stand crying bby's in a movie, this one will annoy you as it did me. It's like OK I GET IT THE BBY'S UPSET, NOW MOVE ONTO THE STORY! The female lead was forgettable at best, but really this was an emotionally strange movie. The motherly vibe they were going for was spoiled by her emotionless actions towards the baby. She loved one child but not the other and then totally switches? Just all around a strange and not worth the time it took watching it. ALL my stars go to Reid and I will watch whatever he does next because he knows how to act!

The plot is definitely messy at time's and it's probably a wee bit smultzy in places. However it's a charming film with great acting. Probably more a TV film than one for the cinema. Definitely worth a watch though.

Saw the trailer for it & thought I'd give it a go. It was a bit slow at some points but overall, it was a good enough film. All Irish films have something about them that makes the likeable.

A mediocre coming of age drama which shows the turmoil of unconventional family life through rural Ireland. Good acting from the leads, especially the scenes with Colman struggling to bond with her baby, but the story is told rather messily and the film is uneven, rushing initially and dragging in the final act. Some of the imagery is good, others is just plain weird and it's not particularly clear what story it wants to tell.

A heartwarming and bittersweet tale of two unlikely travelers who find solace in each other while on the run from their pasts. 13-year-old Mully (Charlie Reid) and uptight solicitor Joy (Olivia Colman) set out on a journey across the Irish countryside, learning to cope with unplanned disruptions and unexpected challenges. Reynolds' direction is strong, capturing the beauty of the Irish landscape through the lens of cinematographer James Mather. The film is visually stunning, with breathtaking shots of the seaside and foggy hills. However, some of the more surreal moments in the film feel out of place and throw off the tone of the story. But where "Joyride" truly shines is in the performances of Reid and Colman. Mully and Joy are both grieving the loss of their mothers and struggling to find their place in the world. They form a bond that helps them cope with their pain and move forward, learning to rely on each other when other parental figures have failed them. Overall, "Joyride" is a charming and emotional film that manages to balance its heavy themes with moments of levity and joy. While it may not be as smooth as some of the best feel-good movies, its unwieldy charm and powerful performances make for a memorable journey.