Rachael Moriarty and Peter Murphy seemed to have the essence of spring in the Irish countryside in mind when writing and directing the loveable Róise & Frank. A film about a widow who is transformed by what she believes to be her husband reincarnated as a dog, it tends to focus on rebirth and reinvigoration rather than death – a shining new lust for life. As Róise (Bríd Ní Neachtain) is given a new purpose in the next phase of her life, so is the entirety of her coastal town when a dog reminds them of the importance of staying present in their current life rather than waiting for the next.
Greenery is a significant visual aspect in the film, but it also translates as an analogy for the seasons of life. Róise spends her time cooped up in a dark bedroom until she’s visited by a dog who leads her to her forgotten favorite nature spots – places her and her husband frequented together. It’s in this moment when a woman and her dog are sitting side-by-side, breathing in fresh air and participating in a nature-led guided meditation that we start to understand the tone of the film. The setting seems to come alive as the protagonist is awakened back into the disposition she might have had before the loss of her husband. Though it’s her husband she believes to be reborn, it’s actually a rebirth in her personal fulfillment. The hillsides sing with her newfound joy, and her friends and neighbors feel inspired by their local widow’s newest change in tune.
It’s okay to play into the cynicism of a dog being the husband-reincarnate of our protagonist. In fact most of the characters are written that way. But something crucial to its script is the validity in one’s healing, no matter the magical origin that inspired it. There’s something very universal to take away from the effect this little dog (Barley, as he’s known off-set) has on the rest of the characters. A young neighbor, (Ruadhán de Faoite) experiences a rebirth in his confidence at his school hurling team, new father (Cillian O’Gairbhi) rekindles his relationship with his grieving mother and a woman comes to accept her role as a grandmother. The miracle of Frank the dog is simply a placebo effect sent to help each of them unpause and come back from feeling burned out, insecure or stuck as they cycle through their emotions like seasons. The secret to this, of course, is that each of them had already possessed their capability to grow. The confidence was always there, the relationship was never fully broken, and being stuck in a rut is just another part of being human.
This isn’t a film about magic, nor is it one about spirituality. It’s one about being present and remembering that each day is about growth. The script and direction by Moriarty and Murphy keep a gentle reminder that life is a sequence of fluctuating emotions. Youth is fleeting and loss is inevitable, yes, but so is mourning. Much like the first bloom of spring, or the end of another Irish hurling season, the characters in Róise & Frank become aware of the cyclical nature of life and come to find comfort in its predictability. They can relax in knowing that after each rut comes a rebirth, and so on, and so on.
Photo courtesy of Juno Films
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